


Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate

by spookyawards_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Novel, Post-Season 9 (X-Files)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-01-11
Updated: 2003-01-11
Packaged: 2019-04-27 05:53:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 47,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14419080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyawards_archivist/pseuds/spookyawards_archivist
Summary: Desperate times bring old friends and old enemies together as they search for a solution to save the world from super soldiers.





	Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Spooky Awards](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Spooky_Awards), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [SpookyAwards' collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/spookyawards/profile).

 

Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate

## Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate

### by Donnilee
    
    
    TITLE:      Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate
    AUTHOR:     Donnilee
    

WEB SITE: <http://donnilee.tripod.com>  
**CATEGORY: MSR**  
**RATING: NC-17**

SPOILERS: Fight the Future (movie) Requiem, Within, Without, Emily, William, Anasazi, The Blessing Way, Herrenvolk, Gethsemane, Providence, Audrey Pauley, and Patient X. 

SUMMARY: Desperate times bring old friends and old enemies together as they search for a solution to save the world from super soldiers. 

DEDICATION: Whoa! Lots and lots of encouragement came to me to write this story. Not only encouragement, but plot ideas, suggestions and opinions on what they wanted to see happen that didn't. Without them, this fic would not have been written. So I need to dedicate this story to a great bunch of gals who prop me up when I'm feeling low. Let's see. In no particular order, Fmudler, Cathie, Song, Dani, Holly, Daniela, Sara M., Aloof, Dresa, and Sdani. THANKS: I bow to the Goddess Beta Reader, Sdani. Baby, you da bomb! We encourage NO RESTRAINT of pen and tongue in this neck of the woods! Thank you, Sdani for giving me so much of your time and effort. I really appreciate it more than you know. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've taken liberty with the facts in a couple of places. One liberty was to place the VanDeKamp's in Arizona, close to the only known whereabouts of the alien ships in the New Mexico desert. I know nothing of Colorado except that there are mountains there! So I have neglected to place them in a specific place, hoping the audience will accept the convention. The third liberty was to create a history between Skinner and Covarrubias that we never saw on the show. What can I say? I like couples and happy endings! 

* * *

* * *

**PART 1 (PG)**  
**MOUNT WEATHER COMPLEX**  
**BLUEMONT, VA**

I glanced sideways at Scully as she marched alongside me down the labyrinth of hallways leading to the holding cell. We'd gotten a call earlier from Deputy Director Kersch that Mulder was being held on charges of murder. The unfortunate thing was that I didn't have as much doubt about the veracity of the charges as Scully did. 

I knew Mulder was a desperate man. Understanding his proclivity for getting himself in a jam did not invite my condoning his methods or actions, despite how valid I thought his intentions might be. Unlike Mulder, I didn't always believe that gaining the truth justified breaking all the rules. 

Scully's heels clacked loudly on the cement floor as we were led to the cell. Mulder swung around as the cell was opened. We entered and the guard shut the cell door. I flinched hearing it lock behind us. The guard stood there like a sentinel and I flashed him my dirtiest look. 

He sighed and walked away. I wanted as much privacy as we could possibly get. I stared at the two of them as they eyeballed one another. Finally, Scully's voice cracked around his name, "Mul...der!" 

He smiled a slow, lazy smile and walked to her, cupping her face in his hands. He didn't say a word, just looked into her moist eyes for a moment or two and then lowered his head. 

The kiss was slow, but deep and passionate and I turned my head to try and hide my discomfort at witnessing such a private and intense moment. I knew Mulder was the father of Scully's child, but I'd never been privy to any outwards displays of affection. They'd been very discreet. His growing relationship with Scully was one of the few things over the years that Mulder had been discreet about. Being a man that didn't give a shit what other people thought of him or his motivations, this told me that this relationship was of the utmost importance to him. He was protecting her by being discreet, trying not to tarnish her with people's opinion of him. Before she came along, he didn't give two shits about anyone's opinion. 

In light of recent events, I guess the gloves were off. Neither one cared to hide their relationship anymore, not from me anyway! I finally cleared my throat. Enough was enough, after all. They broke apart, hands sliding down their sides and fingers entwining together. They turned to look at me. "Sorry," Mulder muttered, but he didn't back away from her. 

Instead, he kissed her fingers as if loath to back off even that far. I could feel the sentiment in the room, the pleasure they had in simply looking at one another and I swallowed with difficulty, wondering if I would ever find anything so deep and unblemished as what they shared. 

"It's all right." 

"How are you big guy?" 

I rolled my eyes. "I don't think you have time to be making jokes, Mulder," I said sternly. 

He nodded and backed away from Scully a bit but still held one of her hands. "How did you get in here?" he asked. 

Scully answered. "We got a call from Deputy Director Kersch." 

Mulder raised his eyebrows. "Surprised he'd give a damn." 

I said, "I don't know which side he's on, Mulder, but I do know he doesn't like having his authority usurped and he's pissed that the military will not release you to the FBI for investigation." 

"That makes sense. He wouldn't like not having the reins on this one. After all, he threw me out of the Bureau, so he's got to be laughing now. Probably wants to gloat over me a bit." 

"I wouldn't go that far," I replied. "He does want you out of here though. Do you understand what you're being accused of?" 

"Pretty simple, I killed Knowle Rohrer." 

Scully scrunched her brows. "I don't think that's possible, Mulder." 

His head snapped around to look at her. "Why not?" 

I answered for her, "Because according to Agent Doggett, he's a super soldier." 

Mulder's eyes widened slightly but otherwise he was still and silent. "They said they had a body," he finally said quietly. 

Scully responded. "They may have a body, but funny thing, nobody's seen it or being given access. They won't allow the FBI to do an autopsy. Agent Doggett has been trying to get information and he's getting stonewalled, can't even get pictures." 

Mulder swallowed heavily. "We have to see the body." 

"We're working on it," Scully said quietly. "In the meantime, we need to find a way to get you transferred out of here. What happened?" 

"I got caught," he said calmly, shrugging his shoulders. 

"What were you doing?" she asked. 

"I was sent a key card for here, anonymously, of course." 

"Of course," I repeated sarcastically. "And you blindly followed the anonymous gift." 

He looked down a little sheepishly. "Knowle Rohrer chased me and I fought on the catwalk with him. I ended up flipping him over the railing. Dumb luck, he was one strong son of a bitch. He was electrocuted by the equipment he fell into." 

"We'll get you out of here, Mulder," Scully repeated. 

"That may not be possible," Mulder offered. "They're trying to brainwash me. They've forced a confession from me and I don't doubt that they have it on tape. I'm playing the game for now of the little submissive inmate, but I won't fool them forever." 

"You've been beaten?" I asked. 

He nodded, frowning. Scully was instantly in doctor mode. "Let me see." 

He shook his head. "I'm all right. I'm bruised, but nothing's broken." 

"I want to see for myself." 

He shook his head again. "Please, Scully. I want to spend what little time we have here talking. They'll be back for you two soon." 

Her eyes were misty but she said, "Just promise me you're not lying to me about how bad you're hurt." 

He looked her right in the eye and said, "I promise. That's why I confessed; to prevent being physically disabled in case I found a way to get of here, I wanted to remain mobile and ambulatory. If they kept at it, they would have broken something, heaven forbid, my leg or something and then I wouldn't have been able to run even if I had the opportunity. They want a military trial. It's a sham. They'll never acquit. I killed one of their own. They're worse than cops the way they cover for each other. No jury of my peers. It will be a railroad straight to the electric chair." 

"It was an accident!" 

"I broke in, Scully! I broke the law." 

"Not to kill someone, Mulder. To find out information. Big difference between stealing and murder. The punishment should fit the crime," she said. 

I thought that was a bit nave on her part, but Mulder was the one area where she wasn't rational anymore. I looked at him. "You think this cell is bugged?" 

"I don't know, probably. I've seen no evidence of that, but I'm sure it's well hidden if it's in here." 

I nodded and pulled a small pad and pen from my inside pocket on my suit jacket. I always carried it with me. I wrote a note and handed it to him. Scully looked over his shoulder and read with him. It said, "I'll try to come back with Agent Doggett tomorrow night and see if we can get you out of here. Be ready to go. Have anything you want to take with you on your person." 

He looked up at me, his eyes wet with gratitude and he nodded. "I don't have anything. They took everything. Thank God I didn't really have anything on me anyway but the clothes on my back." 

Without moving his head, he looked down, and slipped his shoe off. I looked down and saw the magnetic key card lying in the sole. I stooped and grabbed it out, sliding it quickly into my pocket. He slowly slipped his shoe back on. 

Scully looked on the verge of tears as well. "Did you find anything, Mulder, before they chased you out?" 

He nodded. "Yes." 

"What was it?" I asked. 

He reached for my pen and I handed it to him. He wrote, "A Date." 

I raised my eyebrows in question and he whispered, "Get me out of here first and then I'll explain. Nothing is imminent." He handed me the pen and paper and I stuffed it deep in my front pocket. Didn't want to be leaving that behind. 

Scully and I exchanged glances, neither of us happy about having to wait for an answer, but realizing that the place was probably bugged. We should have taken that into account before we started talking but that hadn't been on my mind at the time. Mulder turned and cupped Scully's face again. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and then whispered, "How's our boy?" 

Scully did cry now, silent tears spilling over her lashes. "He's safe, Mulder. He's safe." 

Mulder nodded and kissed her again. This time a little deeper. I looked away again. They separated and he hugged her tight and then let go, stepping back. "See you soon." 

"Without a doubt," she said quietly. "I hate this situation but I can't tell you how glad I am to see you in one piece. There were rumors you were dead." 

"The accounts of my death have been greatly exaggerated," he said with a pithy tone. 

She smiled, "I think Knowle Rohrer's are too! And we'll find him, Mulder." 

We all smiled then. I added, "If he is a super soldier, he will regenerate and we'll see him again. And when that happens, they will have no choice but to acquit. All we have to do is find him and take some verifiable video footage. There will be no way they can refute that evidence." 

Mulder hung his head. "I'm sure they could find a way." 

"Maybe," I replied. "We have to go, Mulder." The guard had returned and was simply staring at us. 

"Bye, thanks for coming." 

We walked to the exit and the guard unlocked the cell. I made my way through the door. Scully, however, stopped in the door frame and turned to look at Mulder again. She said, "I love you, Mulder. Don't do anything stupid. I want you around." 

He smiled, blinking rapidly. His bottom lip quivered and then he said, barely above a whisper, "I love you too, Scully. Whatever happens, never doubt that." 

She nodded, pleased with his response and turned on her heel and followed me down the hall as we heard the guard closing and relocking the door. It was odd the way they had said that. I wondered if it was possible that they had never said that to each other before. 

I waited until we were in the car again to talk. As we pulled away, I asked, "How did he seem to you?" 

"A little too calm and resigned to his fate." 

"Why didn't you tell him about William?" 

"Not enough time to explain. That will be a long discussion. He's got enough to worry about right now. I couldn't lay that on him too. He needs a clear head." 

I nodded. "I agree. I think you're afraid of his reaction though." 

She glanced at me and away again. "Maybe I am." 

"I'll tell him if you want," I offered. 

"No, it's something I need to tell him. I don't want to do it while he's sitting in a jail cell, that's all." 

"All right. Look, I think we should go by the Lone Gunmen's place first." 

"Why?" 

"All their equipment is still there." 

"It is?" 

"Yeah, I paid the rent for another month until I can get in there and put the stuff in storage. I figured it would come in handy." 

"I thought they sold it all." 

"Not all of it. I looked the place over and found a hidden trap door in the floor. The basement was still full of stuff. Most of it is broken and in need of repair which is why they probably couldn't sell it. But all of it can be fixed I think. One thing that wasn't broken, however, was the device they used to detect bugs. Being as paranoid as they were, they probably couldn't part with that." 

"They had reason to be paranoid," she said defensively. 

"I didn't say they didn't," I responded calmly. 

"Sorry, I'm a little on edge." 

"Understandable," was all I said. 

After a few moment of silence she said, "That was a nice thing you did. Thank you." 

"Paying the rent?" 

"Yeah." 

"Yeah, they were almost three months behind too. The landlord was getting ready to evict them when they died." 

"I miss them," she said with odd quirky smile on her face, her eyes brimming with tears. 

"Me too." 

"Really?" she asked, sounding surprised. 

"They grew on me," I said acerbically. 

She laughed then and the sound was wonderful. I smiled wide at her and chuckled, then brought my eyes back to the road. We pulled up outside their lair and made our way to the building. 

"How are we getting in?" 

"The landlord gave me the keys when I paid the rent. I told him they had been killed in a freak accident and he sounded genuinely dismayed. I think they lasted this long here because he did like them." 

I unlocked the door and she followed me in. I quickly disarmed the alarm on the keypad next to the door. I'd called the company and asked how to reprogram it when I found it since I had no idea what their code was. The cavernous room had a hollow ring to it as we made our way across the floor to the back of the room, where I kicked a old rotting throw rug aside and pulled open the trap door. 

She chuckled. "All the elaborate security and they hide their trap door with a throw rug. It's classic." 

I smiled at her amusement. "Go figure," was all I said as I lowered myself down the few stairs to the basement. The ceiling was low and I had to bend over, but Scully could stand up. I figured it was only six feet high in here. I pulled the chain on the bare bulb that hung at the foot of the stairs and illuminated the area." 

"Jesus!" she exclaimed. There was computer equipment and electronics of all shapes and sizes stacked haphazardly all over the basement. 

I went to a free standing cabinet in the back and opened the door. I carefully pulled out the bug detector and held it up. 

"Why are we getting this?' 

"I want to check the car out." 

"You think ...?" she trailed off. 

"Wouldn't surprise me if they bugged it while we were inside." 

She nodded and followed me back up the stairs after I turned off the light. I secured the door and put the rug back and made my way to the door. 

I reset the alarm and we went to the car. Scully opened all the doors and the trunk. I went over it carefully and we found one bug in the trunk and one under the hood and one in the passenger side door. 

"Holy shit," Scully said. 

I nodded. "We'll take them to the lab and have them disable them, but I think I'll hang onto them. They could come in handy." 

She raised her eyebrows but said nothing. I dropped them in a zip lock bag. I always carried them in the glove box. And we made the rest of our trip back to D.C. It was a long drive and we decided to wait until tomorrow to go to the Hoover Building. 

* * *

**J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING**  
**BASEMENT OFFICE**  
**THE NEXT DAY**

We entered to find Monica and John in the office. Monica was studying some papers and John was on the phone. They both waved us to the extra chairs and we waited until John was off the phone. 

Once we had their attention, we filled them in and told them about the bugs I'd dropped off at the lab upstairs. Then we spent a couple hours making plans to rescue Mulder. I was truly afraid that there would be an unexplained accident and Mulder would disappear, them claiming he had escaped. 

After furious negotiations about who was going to do what, the girls decided that they would be the diversion and Doggett and I would go in to extract Mulder. 

"Do we go to Kersch?" Monica asked. 

Scully and I exchanged glances. "I wouldn't," I suggested. "We still just don't know where he stands. And even if he wanted to help us I doubt he could or would. I think somebody controls him, whatever his personal beliefs may be." 

We all agreed to go it alone, knowing this could ruin all our careers. Scully and I were committed, long since past caring about our careers. I only cared to the extent that I could use my position to help them. I was a believer now. I'd seen the aliens and I feared colonization. Next to that threat, my career didn't seem very important; not like it used to anyway. 

However, we gave John and Monica one last chance to back out and save their backsides from involvement in this charade. They refused and said they were behind us all the way. If this stuff was going on, they didn't want to be a party to it, and if they could prevent it, even better. I don't know about Scully, but I was relieved beyond measure. I hadn't wanted to do this alone. 

* * *

**MOUNT WEATHER COMPLEX**  
**BLUEMONT, VA**  
**LATER THAT NIGHT**

I felt odd wearing all black from the knit cap, turtleneck, jeans and boots. I was getting too old for this cloak and dagger bullshit. 

We'd brought a black jumpsuit for Mulder to put on over his clothes. We met with surprising little resistance. They must be confident in their security. We didn't try to disable the cameras but just draped them one after another with handkerchiefs as we made our way down the halls. It was crude but effective. I was wishing for the Lone Gunmen's hacking genius. Without it though, we had to make due. 

I was slightly surprised to find that John Doggett was unusually good at picking locks. I was afraid we would run into a bunch of elaborate electronic locks, but they were all standard issue iron bar lock and keys except for one. That one accepted the keycard Mulder had managed to smuggle away into his shoe and pass to me earlier that day. This facility must be old, although you could see where upgrades and renovations had taken place. The further you went into the maze you could see it giving way to the old architecture. It was built into the side of a mountain, meant to be secure for the military in the event of a nuclear holocaust. 

We ran into one guard outside the section of cells that Mulder was in. Doggett distracted him briefly and before he could raise an alarm, I had clapped chloroform over his nose and mouth. He slumped into his chair and we breathed a sigh of relief. John unlocked the last set of doors and we trotted to Mulder's cell. He'd heard the scuffle and was waiting by the door to his cell. John quickly picked the lock and I pulled the jumpsuit out of the backpack I was wearing. 

Mulder nodded and pulled it on quickly over his clothes, hopping on one foot. We left the cell open, not wanting to make any noise that we didn't have to and began the long trek back. Since there had been no one visible to distract outside, the girls had just draped the camera over the door and stood guard outside, watching for anyone approaching. Both had their weapons and taser guns on them. We didn't want to hurt anyone in the process and make the situation worse than it already was. They would merely stun someone if they could rather than open fire on them. 

The girls looked edgy, relieved, and excited as we emerged in a heated, silent shuffle and we ran for the van we'd left parked at the back of the lot. We sped away into the night, wondering if there was someone inside that had wanted Mulder to get away. At this point, though, we couldn't worry about it. 

* * *

**MONICA REYES' APARTMENT**  
**FALLS CHURCH, VA**

We had decided it was too risky to go to Mulder's or Scully's apartment, so we ended up at Monica's. We listened while John spoke to his ex-wife on the phone. 

"Barbara you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't really important. My friend is in trouble and it will just be for a couple of days. We'll be in and out and nobody will be the wiser. You know as well as I do that nobody's up there this time of year, not even the rangers. They won't show up till Memorial Day and we'll be long gone by then." He paused. "A week on the outside, but probably only two days. Please." 

He waited, casting a glance at us. Then he let out the breath he was holding. "Thank you, Barbara. I really appreciate it. I'll be there in an hour or so to get the keys. Thanks again. Bye now." 

He hung up the phone and turned to us with a triumphant smile. Monica said, "You're a good weasel, John. I'll have to remember that." 

He waggled his eyebrows at her and we all chuckled. Mulder said, "I'll go with you?" 

John nodded. "I'll get him settled in the cabin and you guys can come tomorrow." 

"Sounds good. We have some serious planning to do," Monica said. 

We turned our heads while Mulder and Scully kissed and then we watched as John and Mulder left the apartment, heading for the back stairs. We had to get Mulder away from D.C. as quickly as possible. They would discover him missing within hours. John had asked his wife for use of a hunting cabin in the Adirondacks that she owned. She had finally agreed, although reluctantly. 

I was trying to sort out what my next move would be. I wanted to keep tabs on everyone. I was a control freak by nature. It was a good trait for an Assistant Director, and especially now, I wanted to know all the details. 

Monica asked Dana, "Did you tell him?" 

"I had to, he isn't with me. He wanted to know where he was, who was watching him." 

Monica nodded in sympathy. "How did he take it?" 

"Not too good. He understood why I did it, but he doesn't agree with my decision. I could tell." 

"What's his argument?" I asked. 

"Sir, he says no one can protect him better than we can, especially now that we know what destroys them ... the super soldiers. He didn't like that the parents knew nothing of him, but understood why we couldn't tell them. They wouldn't have believed us anyway." 

Monica asked, "Did you tell him about Spender injecting him with the magnetite?" 

"Yes. He said that only backed up his argument that he was safer with us than with strangers who would have no clue what to do if they went after William. If the aliens did and his blood is now volatile to them, an exploding person would definitely be reported by the adoptive parents and we could risk exposure of everything." 

"Would that be such a bad thing?" I asked. 

"I just don't know anymore. It could go either way. The story is so fantastic that I doubt the people would believe it and if they did, they would panic. He also pointed out that if William were found, the aliens wouldn't hesitate to kill the adoptive parents. I could have put them at risk." 

Monica asked, "Is that really your responsibility?" 

"I don't see how it could be anyone else's." 

"We can't cover every eventuality, Dana," Monica reminded her. 

"I know." 

"Did Mulder seem angry with you?" I asked. 

"No, he seemed ... disappointed." 

"In you?" 

"In me ... and at not being able to see William. He missed him ... so much." Her voice cracked on the last two words. 

Monica walked to her and held her in a loose embrace of comfort. "He'll come around, Dana," Monica said softly. 

Scully nodded and hugged her tighter. Then a plaintive cry rose from her throat, "I miss him too!" She sobbed once, and then said again, "God, I miss him too. I'm afraid I made a horrible mistake!" 

"You did what you had to do," Monica encouraged. "And Mulder will see that. Just give him a little time. He was focused on the reality that he couldn't see him right now and that colored his response." 

Scully sniffled. "I hate this, all of this. Why can't anything ever be simple for us. Not one god damned thing is ever easy for us!' 

I grunted, not knowing what to say. I know disappointing Mulder was one of Scully's biggest fears. He trusted her to hold down the fort. He wouldn't easily accept that he couldn't see his son, even if he understood her motivation. 

Mulder had filled us in on the date of colonization he had found in the computer. December 22, 2012. That gave us ten years to figure out a way to stop them and Mulder thought he might already know how. He wondered if the magnetite was lethal to more than the super soldiers. He wondered if it would affect the regular aliens and bounty hunters the same way. He wondered if it would destroy their ships. We were going to try our best to figure it out. 

He also wanted to talk to Gibson Praise and find out what the kid might know about it. It was a long shot, but it was a place to start. The kid might be able to lead us to their ship locations in the desert, where we knew they were hidden. He always seemed to know when they were near. We could test our theory. Of course, we ran the risk of abduction again, which none of us wanted to face. 

It was not going to be easy. Nothing worthwhile ever was, I wanted to say to Scully, but I knew she wouldn't appreciate the sentiment at this point. 

I glanced at Monica sitting next to me in the car. Scully was sleeping in the back seat, completely exhausted from the events of the last 24 hours. Mulder and Doggett called us when they were settled in the cabin and gave us directions. In order to avoid suspicion, we were only taking one other car up there. A convoy would attract attention since the trails and parks were supposed to be closed. The girls decided to go up and when they arrived, Doggett would return to join me in trying to locate some people. 

We needed to see some people and make some solid plans. Marita Covarrubias was on the top of our list, along with Gibson Praise. Next, we needed to locate Jeffrey Spender who had disappeared shortly after his run in with Scully and the baby. We'd let him go, and now were kicking ourselves for not having kept an eye on where he went to. Like Monica had said, you just couldn't cover all the bases, no matter how hard you tried. 

For the moment Mulder was safe with Monica and Scully to help guard him. The military would come gunning for him, no doubt. But first they had to find him and for a couple of days at least, we hoped he was hidden well, until we could make arrangements to hide him elsewhere. Doggett had some ideas about that too. 

Me, I was worried about seeing Marita again. It had been a long time since we'd fallen out. I wondered if there were a snowball's chance in hell she'd help us. Maybe Doggett should talk to her alone. As soon as I thought it, I knew there was no way I wouldn't be there. If I was honest, I wanted to see her again. Damned if that woman didn't still haunt me. 

* * *

**THE NEXT DAY**  
**ARIZONA DESERT**

The little girl continued to run, even though the muscles in her thighs burned with the effort. Her lungs were seared by the hot, desert wind as she sucked in ragged breaths, feeling the sand coat the inside of her mouth. She pulled her tee shirt up over her mouth, holding her hand above her upper lip and continued to run. 

Just a little further and she would have shelter. She couldn't believe they hadn't discovered her missing yet. They would soon though. She hadn't detected any signs of being followed and she could always "feel" them when they were within a mile of her. She'd been running for hours, nonstop. She'd only stopped once to catch her breath, let her muscles recuperate and drink an entire bottle of water from her knapsack that was still bouncing on her back as she ran. 

She was not fast now. Her run was more like a trot, but she knew she couldn't stop. She was close. She knew this from the information she had gotten from the computer. The internal compass in her head told her she was approximately a quarter mile from the house. They knew, damn it. They knew where he was and she had to warn them. She was determined. If it was the last thing she ever did, she was going to help him. It was the least she could do. Her life was meaningless anyway. If she died trying, at least she would die "trying", instead of sitting back in fear and waiting for the world to come to an end. 

Not anymore. This was her one chance and she was going to take it. She continued to run, her legs wobbly and her gait unsteady, but she refused to stop. She knew when she did, it was all over, she would collapse. Just a little further. She repeated the words over and over like a mantra. "Just a little further, just a little further." 

She swung her knapsack to one shoulder, not stopping but slowing a little. She pulled out another bottle of water and bit off the top. She tipped it to her mouth and drank deeply as she continued to trot. She coughed and sputtered when the cold water slid down her throat and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her hair was plastered to her head, the sweat pouring down her neck in rivulets, wetting her tee shirt. Her legs were sunburnt and beginning to blister. She should have worn pants, but didn't think of it at the time. She saw her opportunity and she'd bolted. 

She took the last swig of water and dropped the bottle carelessly into the sand, continuing to move. She had slowed to a fast walk now and the heat was making her dizzy. Despite the five bottles of water she'd drank on the run, she knew she was dehydrating. 

Her vision swam and when she opened her eyes, she saw the farmhouse looming large in front of her. It gave her a new burst of energy and she picked back up to a trot. 

She was only about five hundred yards away when she saw a woman's face appear behind the screen door, a concerned crease in her brow. "Ma'am," she called out, alarmed at the scratchy quality of her voice. 

The woman didn't appear frightened as she stepped on to the porch and tipped her head to one side, only curious. 

The little girl knew she looked like hell, and breathed out, "Oh thank God. I made it." Then she felt the world spin around her as a wave of vertigo gripped her. She cried out, "No! Hee ...elp!" 

Then everything went black. 

* * *

VanDeKamp RESIDENCE  
**ARIZONA**

The woman gasped and ran toward the girl that had suddenly swayed on her feet and collapsed into the sand several yards beyond the front walk. She ran to her and dropped to her knees. She was a young girl, four years old, maybe five. The woman wondered how she had come to be here in the middle of nowhere all by herself. Something horrible must have happened. 

She picked the girl up and carried her inside. It was times like these she wished they didn't live so far away from everything. Of course, that was what had prompted her to learn nursing. She settled the girl on her couch, noticing that she was soaked and probably dehydrated. She lifted her and pulled the knapsack off her back, dropping it on the floor, forgetting about it for now. 

She went to the bathroom and gathered towels and other supplies and went back to the living room. She dipped the wash clothes in a bucket of cold water and placed them on the girl after stripping her out of her clothes. One on the forehead, one on each arm, one across the stomach and over each thigh. She needed to cool her down. Her skin was burning up. If she didn't cool soon, she would have to put her in an ice bath. She stuck a thermometer under the girl's tongue. 

She unfolded her I.V. pole and placed a saline solution bag on it. She prepared the I.V. and then wiped the new needle with an alcohol pad. As she pressed the needle to the inside of girl's elbow, searching for a vein, the little girl's eyes suddenly popped open. She sat up quickly, spitting out the thermometer, and flailing her arms. "No, don't puncture my skin!" she shouted. 

The woman reeled back on her heels and then plopped onto her butt in the middle of the living room floor. She held up her hands in a universal sign of surrender. "Don't worry, child. I won't hurt you. I'm a nurse. You're dehydrated. I was just going to start an I.V. to hydrate you." 

The girl was silent a few moments and said, "That won't be necessary. If you could just give me water, I'll be fine." 

She nodded, and said, "Well, now that you're awake, we'll try that first." 

As she went to the kitchen to get a glass and a pitcher of ice water she paused. There was something odd about the small girl. First, how many four or five year olds knew the word "puncture". Now that she thought about it, the girl was exceptionally articulate for her age, speaking like an adult almost. No, not almost, JUST like an adult. She furrowed her brow, feeling uneasy but finished her task and made her way back to the living room. 

The girl sat, naked as a jaybird, and totally unselfconscious of this fact. She looked at the woman and shivered. "Do you maybe have a dry tee shirt I could put on, Ma'am?" she asked politely. "Now that my sweat is cooling, I'm afraid I'm a bit chilled." 

The woman noted an odd accent to her speech and couldn't place it. She was still trying to get beyond the articulate speech pattern. "I'll get you a tee shirt, but then you must answer some questions." 

The girl nodded, offering no protest. The woman left and returned with a tee shirt and a bathrobe. Both were huge on the little girl but she wrapped up in them gratefully, tucking her feet under her on the couch. She was still guzzling water, glass after glass. 

"Careful, you'll get sick if you drink it too fast." 

"I'm fine now, thanks. You're a life saver," the girl replied. 

The woman nodded. "Want to tell me how you came to be out here in the middle of nowhere all by yourself?" 

"I escaped." 

"Escaped? From what?' 

The girl eyed her, as if choosing her words carefully. "I ran away." 

"From your parents?" 

"Sort of, not really. I was in an ... abusive situation and I needed to leave." 

The woman felt a wave of sympathy wash through her. The girl was obviously grown beyond her years. Abuse could do that to you. "How old are you?" she asked. 

The little girl smiled. "I'm seven." 

"Seven!" 

She smiled wider. "Yeah, I'm real small for my age." 

"I guess so." 

"I have some ... relatives that can help me, I think. An ... aunt and uncle. I was hoping maybe you could help me get in touch with them." 

"I'd be happy too. You should probably let you're parents know you are all right though." 

The girl looked at her with a stare that sent a chill down her spine. "I won't be speaking to my parents ever again. They won't care anyway. Please just help me find my aunt and uncle." 

The woman swallowed, totally unnerved for no particular reason she could name. "I'll help you," she whispered. 

The girl nodded, smiling and the cold look disappeared from her eyes. The woman wondered if she'd imagined it. "Thank you, Ma'am. I'll be forever in your debt." 

The woman nodded shakily and then the sound of a baby was heard through the open door to the hallway. "I have a baby," she said quietly. 

The little girl looked at her again and said the oddest thing. "I know, that's why I came here." 

"What's your name, child?" 

* * *

* * *

**PART 2 (NC-17)**  
**HUNTING CABIN**  
**ADIRONDACKS**  
**NEW YORK STATE**

Monica had gone out for a run, winking conspiratorially at me. She knew I wanted some time alone with Mulder and I was grateful for her understanding. She had turned out to be a good friend. It was nice after all these years to have a female friend I felt that I could trust. 

I walked into the back bedroom in the cabin to find Mulder sitting on the bed with pillows propped behind him. He was reading a book with his glasses perched on his nose. His chest was bare and his boxers clung snugly to his muscular thighs. I drank in the sight of him, whole and healthy. He glanced up and smiled, setting his book aside and held up his hand. 

I practically ran to the bed and jumped on it. He smiled wider at my playfulness. I didn't feel especially playful but I was enthusiastic. Kneeling, I peeled off my tee shirt and tossed it over the side of the bed. My bra followed the same path. 

His eyes were riveted on my chest and he licked his lips, sending my body into shivers of anticipation. I crawled up as he scooted down some and placed myself between his legs. I lowered my torso to his and he groaned softly as my skin touched down on his. 

"Where's Monica?" 

"She went for a run." 

He mumbled, "Oh, it's been so long. I missed you so much, Scully. I missed being able to just... touch you." 

I hummed in agreement and placed soft kisses on his salty skin, suckling his nipples gently and moving up to his neck. He gasped and squirmed as I made my way up to his ears. They were sensitive. I remembered that from last time. 

Last time. My God, it had been so long. It had been nearly a year since that one wonderful night together in my apartment when William had been conceived. Then he was abducted. He was there for William's birth, but had abruptly gone into hiding. And I'd been in no shape to be intimate immediately following William's birth, so it had been a long time. 

His hands rubbed gently up and down my back, cupping my butt and sliding over my skin. I shuddered at the sensation and he lowered his mouth to mine. We kissed slowly but deeply for several long moments. I could feel him hardening against me. 

Finally, he pulled back and coaxed me onto my knees again. He reached down and removed his boxers, freeing his erection to the cool air of the bedroom. It stood up proudly as though reaching for me and I put out my hand to grasp it. He caught my wrist gently and said, "If you do that, this will be over way too fast." 

I smiled and flopped back on my rear end, taking off my sweatpants and letting them slide over the side of the bed as well. He guided me down onto my back and kissed me again, moving to my neck and down to my breast. The first touch of his warm, soft lips on my nipple nearly sent me into orbit. I arched off the bed crying out, "Ooohhhh!" 

I felt his lips smile against me but he continued his attention and then moved to //the//other breast. A few minutes of this was all I could take. I grasped his shoulders and tugged up. 

He raised his head and looked down the length of my torso to the juncture of my thighs. I was wet and leaking already, my thighs damp with arousal. I shook my head. "Not now. I want you inside. It's been so long." 

He nodded and repositioned himself atop me. His glans probed my moist opening as he took his weight on his elbows. He kissed me again and then stared at my face, his expression solemn as he began to slide inside. My mouth dropped open on a gasp at the first push of his hardness inside my long unused tunnel. 

He was hot, hard, and painfully ready for me. He moaned but kept sliding in until he was pressing on the door to my womb, stretching my cervix. He stayed still a moment. Our eyes met and his were damp. He whispered, "There were nights ... I didn't think I'd ever be here again." 

I nodded, feeling tears sting my own eyelids. "Me too," I whispered. 

"Not a day went by, I didn't think of you, Scully. You and William." 

My face scrunched up with regret. "I'm sorry I gave him away, Mulder," I squeaked out, ashamed of how upset I was getting. 

He pulled back and stroked into me slowly, coaxing another moan from the back of my throat. "It's all right, Scully." 

"I let you down," I whispered. 

"No, Scully. You've never let me down. I know you must have done what you needed to do." 

Stroke. 

"I know you felt you had no choice or you never would have done it. I know how much our baby meant to you ... still means to you. You must have been so scared." 

He began a slow, steady rhythm as he whispered to me. His words were reassuring, calming, and filled with love and compassion. "It will be all right. I just missed him so much." 

Stroke. 

"I looked forward to holding him again. Holding you again. Knowing you were waiting for me to come home one day was sometimes the only thing that kept me going." 

Stroke. 

"I love you so much, Scully. I wanted to find a way for us to be a family. We didn't ever have time to just enjoy loving each other." 

A low hum erupted from the back of my throat and we kissed as he continued to make love to me. I could feel all his pain and misery fading away with every push into my body and I gladly took it in and gave away mine. All those nights of loneliness were over. In between gasps of slow, waving pleasure I said, "I can't do this again." 

His expression was stricken, and I realized he'd misunderstood when he stopped and held still. I locked my heels behind his low back when he would have pulled away. 

"No, Mulder. I mean I can't be separated from you again. We have to find a way to beat this thing ... together. If we can't be together, it isn't worth it." 

He smiled sadly. "Scully ..." 

"Later, we'll talk later. Just make love to me now. We don't have much time." 

He nodded and resumed his stroking, speeding up and driving me toward my peak with every crash of his hips against mine. I felt my orgasm coil low in my belly and he sped up again, grunting with every impact as he buried himself deep inside me. "I'm so hard for you," he whispered. 

He murmured in my ear. "Missed you so much. Was afraid it'd been too long ... you wouldn't want this anymore. Oh Lord, Scully, you feel so good. Come for me, Love. Come for me." 

It struck with the force of a hurricane and the speed of lightening. My climax rolled over me with tremendous force, my womb contracting to just this side of pain. My vagina clutched at his rigid member with blinding force, trying to hold it inside. 

He howled, "Awwwww, Gaawwdd! You're squeezing me so tight. Ohhhh, Christ yes!" I felt his essence fly into me, filling me and coating my walls with slick warmth. 

We lay still for several minutes afterwards. When our breathing returned to normal, he rolled off me and tugged my hand, standing me up off the bed. We went to the shower without a word. We soaped one another and reveled in just being together and being able to touch. 

After we had dried off and made some tea, we sat cuddled in the corner of the couch. He lit a fire and we sat in silence for a while. "We should talk, Scully." 

"Yeah, I don't know how much private time we're going to have for a while." 

"Nice of Monica to make herself scarce." 

"She's been a really good friend, Mulder." 

"I see that. I'm glad you had someone to turn to." 

"I think she and John have something going, or want to have something going." 

"Must be that office," he deadpanned. 

I chuckled and he looked down at me with such a look of affection and tenderness, I had to blink rapidly to hold back another display of waterworks. I'd been crying way too much lately. 

I cleared my throat and he kissed my forehead tenderly. "I was thinking of going back to New Mexico." 

"Why New Mexico? Wait a minute. BACK to New Mexico?" 

"That's where I was hiding." 

"Where in New Mexico?" 

"With Albert Hostein's grandson." 

"Oh. I wondered. I wasn't sure you would go back there." 

"I wasn't sure at first either. I was afraid that might be one of the first places they looked. But then I realized that Albert was gone and he was the real threat to them down there. He was the last code talker. And they'd destroyed the boxcar with the corpses, so they thought they'd cleaned the area. I figured they wouldn't go back unless something else gave them a reason to. I was in Canada until I could get a hold of the Navajos and ask for permission to be hidden there." 

"They agreed, obviously." 

"Yes, I got in touch with Eddie, his grandson." 

"I thought you were dead ... a couple of times." 

He held her tightly and kissed her temple. "I'm here now, that's what matters." 

"We need help, Mulder. We can't do this alone anymore." 

"I know. Doggett and Reyes are obviously willing to help. And we know we can trust Skinner. We now have three people on our side that we can trust. That's more than we've ever had." 

"We had the Lone Gunmen," she said quietly. 

Mulder's face scrunched into an expression of despair. "Doggett told me on the way up. I mentioned calling the boys for help and he told me they were dead." He paused for a moment and then cried out, "Jesus!" 

It was my turn to comfort him. I held him while he cried softly. He gasped out, "They were the only friends I had for so long, Scully. Until you came along." 

"Shhh, I know." 

"I wish I could have been to their funeral." 

"We'll visit their gravesites when we can, Mulder and you can say a proper goodbye." 

He sniffled and nodded. "I heard Skinner got them into Arlington Cemetary." 

A few tears escaped my lashes and I answered, "Yeah, pretty good of him, huh?" 

"Yeah." 

"He paid the back rent on their place and for another month's rent until he can put their stuff in storage." 

"He did?" Mulder asked, pulling away from her slightly to look at her face. 

She nodded. "He really has turned out to be a good friend too, Mulder. He cared about the guys. He knew how they stood behind you, even when he couldn't, and he admired their loyalty." 

He nodded. "So did I, Scully. So did I. I'm gonna miss the hell out of them. It's not fair. I should have been dead ten times over and they ..." 

"I know. You can't think that way though, Mulder. You'll just drive yourself nuts." 

"I'm already nuts," he said calmly. I smiled affectionately and we just sat holding one another. "So what next?" he asked finally. 

"Doggett said he and Skinner were going to try and track down some people. Marita and Spender and Gibson." 

"Spender?!" 

"Oh God, you don't know that whole story, do you?" 

"He's alive?" 

"Jeffrey Spender, not C.G.B., and yes, he was taken and tortured, Mulder. He wasn't as lucky as you. He didn't come away unscathed." 

"I wouldn't say I was unscathed." 

"I meant physically." 

He looked at me, waiting for me to continue. "What happened?" he prompted finally. 

"He's hideous, Mulder. He's scarred beyond recognition. He barely has a face anymore, like his features melted. He has no hair and wears an awful wig. I actually thought he might be you at first." 

"Christ!" he exclaimed. "I must admit I never liked him. But if what you say is true, I can't help but feel sorry for him." 

"Yeah. He was injected with something that burned all his skin tissue from the inside out. It would take massive and lengthy surgeries to even get him to a place where he looked halfway normal." 

"God," was all he said. 

"He's your brother, Mulder. He admitted that finally." 

Mulder reared back. "You're sure?" 

"As sure as I can be. He said your mother had an affair with his father. You were the result. You were raised separately, him by Cassandra, you by Teena." 

"Christ! I suspected but ... knowing for sure is still a bit of a shock." 

"Yeah, he's filled with remorse too, I think for not believing you from the beginning. He hates his father, whom he believes is dead." 

"What did he come around for?" 

"He broke into the X-Files looking for files, the very files we were hiding at my apartment." 

"How'd he know about them?" 

"He said you told him." 

He shook his head. "I haven't seen him in years." 

I nodded. "I don't know how he found out, but when I knew which files he was looking for, I knew it wasn't you. You knew where the files were and you wouldn't have gone to the office looking for them." 

"What happened?" 

"He injected William with something. I panicked." 

"That bastard!" 

"No, Mulder. I was scared, but it turned out all right. Apparently, he injected him with a biological version of magnetite." 

"Holy shit," he whispered. 

"Yeah, he said it would help keep him safe. The super soldiers won't be able to get near him without killing themselves now." 

"Then why did you feel forced to give him up?" he asked. There was no accusation in his voice, but the pain was evident and so was the lack of understanding. 

"Spender said that it would never be over. That the aliens would never forget what he was supposed to be and they wouldn't accept that he was beyond their reach. They would keep searching and try to find a way to reverse what Spender had done. He said he would never be safe, and neither would you." My voice trailed off at the end. 

"And you believed him?" 

"Yes, I believed him. I couldn't even give our child a life without fear, Mulder. I didn't want him to grow up under the shadow of fear. I couldn't bear it. I would never be able to look him in the eye and tell him everything would be all right. Because I would never know for sure." 

He pulled me against him tightly again. I could feel his pain, but now there was understanding too. "If I had to go on the run, I wouldn't have been able to take him with me. They want you dead, Mulder. According to them, you are the one thing that can prevent him from taking his place as a leader in the future. They believe he is the bridge between aliens and humans during colonization." 

"If the date I have is correct, he'll only be 11 years old." 

"Maybe they mean to have him lead later on, who knows what they think. I do know that you and I will always be targets," I continued. 

"Not always, I promise." 

"How can you, Mulder?' 

"We'll find a way, Scully. We have to, that's all. We'll find a way to beat this. We know what destroys the soldiers and they are the best hope the aliens have for colonization. If we can destroy all the soldiers and then find a way to get rid of the aliens, we can be safe again." 

I smiled at him, again amazed at his faith in himself and in me. "That's a tall order, Mulder. They are hard to take on one at a time." 

"Yeah, but if Spender knows how to make the biological compound of magnetite, we might be able to inject ourselves, maybe everyone. I was just thinking of using the magnetite in it's current form or producing it synthetically somehow. It never occurred to me that it could be made into something the body wouldn't reject. Injecting everyone with it has incredible potential. It would invalidate their entire fighting force." 

"How could we do it?" 

"They tagged everyone through small pox vaccinations, didn't they?" 

"You mean use their own idea against them?" 

"Yeah, it could work. The trick would be getting it into the vaccines, selling it to the public as an inoculation for something other than what it was, some life threatening virus or something." 

"That would be difficult." 

"Yes, but not impossible and we have ten years to D-Day." 

"And we have to be on the run until then?" 

"I don't know, Scully, but I do know that there are options. We are not out of options yet, and until we are, I refuse to give up on my dreams." 

"Your dreams?" 

"You, me, William ... living a normal life as a normal family." 

I laughed now. "We'll never be normal, Mulder." 

He chuckled. "Well, I'd like some things to be normal. I'd like to be ..." He hesitated, his voice hitching. 

"Like to be what?" 

So softly, I almost couldn't hear him, he said, "I'd like the chance to be a real father. Not just in name only. I want a family again, Scully. I want a future with you and I'll fight till my dying breath to make it happen, to make it safe for us to live our lives. We deserve some happiness." 

Our gazes met and held in silent communion. He wanted us to be a family. That warmed my heart more than anything. I didn't know if it would ever be possible. I had the strength of his beliefs, but I was unwilling to predict the future. That usually only yielded severe disappointment for me. 

"We need to take this one day at a time, Mulder. I want the same things you want," 

"Amazing," he joked, interrupting my serious comment. 

I slapped him gently. "Shush. I'm not finished." 

He nodded and waited for me to continue. 

"I just don't want us to set ourselves up for disappointment, Mulder. We have a long road ahead of us. If we're lucky, we'll achieve those dreams, but I don't want to be thinking they are around the corner any day now because I know that they aren't." 

He hung his head. "I know, but I need my dreams, Scully. They are all that keep me going sometimes. And now that I have you and William, there is even more reason than ever for me to fight ... and keep fighting. The world needs to be made safe, not just for us but for everyone's children. Otherwise, none of us has a future." 

"I'm with you," I vowed. 

"I know," he said softly. "Thank God. You're like a miracle in my life, Scully." 

I smiled at him. "You're not so bad yourself." 

"Hmmm, I've brought you so much joy," he said sarcastically. 

I cupped his face. "But you have Mulder. You just don't know how much." 

"How can you say that, Scully? If you'd never hitched your wagon to mine ... " 

I pressed my fingers to his lips to stop the flood of guilt and self-flagellation that I knew was coming. Some things never changed. "You gave me the one thing nobody and nothing else was able to, Mulder." 

"What's that Scully?" he asked tentatively. 

"You gave me a baby, Mulder." 

His eyes were teary. "And now he's gone." 

I nodded, feeling teary again myself. "But I have never known such joy, Mulder as when I held him and loved him. I will always love him, even if it's at a distance, I will love him and know that you and I created life together and we will live on through him no matter what. Secondly, you loved me so unconditionally and so well. Knowing you love me brings me joy too, Mulder. I'll never forget the night we made William. It was like I was free for the first time in my life. Free to be me. Free to love you. And I was so happy, Mulder, to have found love like that. And we created life together, Mulder. I never dreamed of loving someone so completely as I love you." 

"It's a miracle," he murmured. Then he kissed me again, urgently this time. We were interrupted by the sound of clearing throat. We looked up sheepishly to find Monica looking at us with an amused expression. 

"Guess I didn't stay away long enough, huh?" she asked. She was dripping sweat, a large stain down the front of her tee shirt. 

"No, we're good. Thanks, Monica," I replied. 

She smiled. "I'm gonna hit the shower. Then I'll call John and see if they've made any progress. 

I stood and said, "I'll start dinner." 

"What should I do?" Mulder asked. 

"You could bring in some more wood for the fire off that pile outside." 

"You got it." 

We all went about our chores separately and met back in the living room. Monica used her digital phone so that we couldn't be traced and called John. He said that they had a lead on Marita and would get back to us as soon as they knew more. In the meantime, he asked Monica to call down to Mexico and see if she could find a place for them to hole up for a while. 

She agreed, saying she knew some people that might help her, friends of her family. I took a deep breath, knowing that this was just the start. I thought of William and was swamped with sadness. I was torn. I wanted to be with Mulder and never leave his side. But we were still going to be on the run for a while. And the road was no place for a baby. In my heart, I did what I needed to do, but I also knew that I would never be sure it was the right decision. I did feel better knowing that Mulder wasn't angry with me for what I did. I just hoped he didn't resent me for it later after he'd had more time to think about it. 

I had turned over custody. It wouldn't be easy to get him back, maybe impossible to do it legally. We couldn't just take him back. If anyone could find a way, though, Mulder could. I really believed that. 

There was nothing I could do about it now. What was done was done. I was a Scully and I wasn't going to waste time hemming and hawing about things I couldn't change. My father had told me once, "No sense regretting the past. You can't change it, even God can't change the past." 

That put things in perspective for me, and I needed to remember that sentiment now. It might be all that held me together and preventing me flying into a million pieces every time my arms ached with emptiness because he wasn't with me. 

Maybe holding Mulder would fill some of the empty space. I sure hoped so. 

* * *

* * *

**PART 3 (PG)**  
**MARITA COVARRUBIAS' APARTMENT**  
**SOUTHERN MARYLAND**

The next few days were a whirlwind of searching and begging. I felt disconnected not having Monica with me. I realized how much I'd come to depend on her presence. Ironically, a manila envelope containing an address was slipped under the door to the X-Files office. Skinner and I had no idea where it had come from. It was just the address with no name or anything else. Skinner picked it up and read the note. At the bottom of the sheet it just said, 'From a Friend'. 

We waited till evening to go to the address in Maryland. Skinner took a deep breath and said, "You take this one, John." 

I knocked and placed my finger over the peephole. When the female voice asked who was there, I said, "Open up, police, ma'am." 

There was a hesitation but then I heard a dead bolt slide out. She didn't release the chain. I pushed and when the chain caught the door, I could see a blonde woman standing a few feet back in a firing stance, her weapon training on the door. Skinner stepped into view then and said, "Marita, please. We need to talk to you." 

So this was Marita, I thought. 

"I can't help you," she said immediately. 

"How do you know that?" Skinner asked. 

She hesitated. "I don't want to be involved anymore." 

"I don't think you have a choice," he replied. 

"Why should I help you?" 

"Because you know it's the right thing to do and Mulder thinks he knows a way to stop this." 

She laughed then, the sound caustic and razor sharp. "Doesn't he always," she said finally. 

"Marita please. We think we really have a chance, but we need some information, and we need to find Jeffrey Spender." 

Her weapon lowered then and she stared at us for a few moments. She sighed and unhooked the chain. "Thank you," Skinner murmured as we stepped inside, closing and locking the door. She waved to the chairs around her kitchen table and we sat. 

"Coffee?" she asked. 

We both nodded. "That would be great," I said. "I live on it now." 

She smiled and placed the mugs on the table with a bowl of sugar and a quart of milk. We fixed our coffee in silence. She said, "I don't know about anything else, but I can help you find Jeffrey." 

Skinner's head snapped up to stare at her. She didn't say anything else and I sensed there was history with these two that made communication difficult. I didn't know and didn't want to ask. So I said, "Ms. Covarrubias, we would be really grateful. We don't want to put you in danger, but... honestly, we need help." 

She smiled at me and then turned to Walter. "How novel, someone that admits needing help instead of making me feel like it's my civic duty to risk my life. At least one of you has manners." She turned back to me. "Call me Marita." 

Skinner looked at the table. "I'm sorry, Marita," he began. "There's a lot of water under the bridge here, for both of us. There were times when neither of us knew what side we were on. But that needs to end. I'll trust you if you'll trust me. We need to try. For everyone's sake," he added. 

She didn't say anything, just leaned back against her kitchen counter, crossing her arms over her chest. He continued, "This is bigger than us, Marita, bigger than any of us." 

"You think I don't know that? Me, of all people?" she spit out angrily. 

"I know you do. I guess I can't say anything right around you, can I?" 

She sighed again. "You don't get my help for nothing, Walter. I want to know what's going on and what you plan to do." 

He nodded. "I'll tell you. I said I'd trust you and I will. I know you have as much at stake as any of us." 

"More," she said. 

I looked at Skinner and asked, "What are you two talking about?" 

They both turned to me then as though they'd forgotten I was in the room. They exchanged a glance and I saw Marita nod, almost imperceptibly. 

Skinner cleared his throat. "She knows who they are, John." 

"They?" 

"The aliens." 

I looked at each of them in turn. "And?" 

"She knows who in the government," he added, trying to get the light bulb to go on in my head with as little information as possible. 

"Oh!" I said. "You really believe they are in the government?" 

Marita made a sound of disgust. "Of course they are. How do you think they always know what we're doing? How do you think they stay one step ahead of us? How do you think they have the resources to complete their project? Without the government, they would have to create chaos and fear to take what they needed and they don't want that. They want to be completely anonymous until they are ready to colonize. That's why anyone who gets close to the truth ends up dead." 

She finished this little speech and speared me with a look that made me shiver. "I don't want to believe this," I said. "But I know you're telling the truth." 

"John is still a bit of a skeptic," Skinner offered to Marita. "But he's coming around. Like the rest of us, he's just seen too much." 

She raised one eyebrow in a fair imitation of Scully's eyebrow maneuver and I smiled, for lack of something better to do. I was feeling outclassed as I sat here watching this play out. 

She finally picked up her mug off the counter and sat down at the table between us. Skinner was on one end, me on the other and she sat on the side. "Jeffrey is ruined," she said. 

"We know," Walter said. "We saw him. He broke into the X-files with this fantastic story about Mulder telling him where files were that could help him. He wants to punish the ones that tortured him, that were responsible for his being taken." 

She raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't believe him?' 

"We didn't think he'd seen Mulder, but he had information he shouldn't have had." 

"Did he find the files?" she asked. 

"No, Agent Doggett interrupted his fishing expedition." 

"And if he hadn't?" 

Skinner stared her down. "He still wouldn't have found them. Not there." 

She nodded, not asking him to elaborate. "I see." 

"You told him the files were there, didn't you, Marita?" 

She stared straight ahead, not meeting our gazes. She didn't deny it and that pretty much confirmed it for me. 

Walter asked, "Did you give him the keys as well?" 

"Dangerous woman," I muttered, wondering how she got a copy of the keys to offices inside the FBI. 

She swallowed but then nodded. "I felt sorry for him. He's so wretched now." 

"Do you feel sorry for me?" he asked cryptically. 

She looked at him, the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement. "No," she replied finally. 

He nodded. I had a feeling there had been a silent conversation there and wondered if these two had ever been involved. I was getting that vibe but I just couldn't picture it. Then again, the more I thought about it, it wasn't so far out of bounds. 

"So what now? Can you set up a meeting with Jeffrey for us or what?" I asked. 

She looked at me again. "Cut to the chase kind of guy, are you?" 

I nodded. "I don't have time to candy coat things." 

She nodded. "What do you want with him?" 

"We need to know what he injected Scully's kid with," I told her. 

"He told you that." 

"No, he just said it was a magnetite compound. What we need to know is how to make it." 

She perked up at this and looked between us again. "Oh my God. Is that what you are planning to do?" 

"We need to know. We want to protect ourselves first, but then find a way to immunize everyone." 

"That won't be easy." 

"No, it won't," Walter added. "But we'll figure a way to do it. We have more immediate concerns like protecting Mulder and Scully. What you're talking about ... what we are contemplating is a long term plan. We just busted Mulder out of a military brig." 

"I know," she said softly. 

I wondered where this woman got her information, but Walter didn't seem surprised that she was in the know. 

"It's expensive to make." 

"I figured it wouldn't be cheap," I said. 

Walter chimed in. "Mulder has enough money, I'm sure. He could finance making enough for us anyway until we could find help and backers to manufacture it and deliver it. I know he would do it. The money means nothing to him." 

She nodded. "He does have the money. It's so ironic. I'll bet you two don't have any idea how wealthy Mulder is." 

Walter said, "I know his parents left him well off." 

"You don't know the half of it." 

"Why don't you fill us in then," he said testily. 

She looked at him calmly. "Cassandra Spender got almost everything in the divorce from C.G.B." 

"So what?" Walter asked. 

"She felt betrayed by Jeffrey and she hated C.G. B. with all her heart. She got her divorce on the grounds of infidelity. He thought she was nuts." 

"He meaning C.G.B.?" 

"No, meaning Jeffrey. He never believed about the aliens, her abduction, that she had been turned into a hybrid. He blamed the divorce and his father's affair on her delusions." 

"When did he find out she wasn't nuts?" I asked. 

"Way too late," Marita said cryptically. 

Walter asked, "So what does this have to do with Mulder?" 

She smiled then, a closed lipped, secretive smile. "She left everything to Mulder." 

Walter gasped. "No shit," he breathed out. 

She nodded, pursing her lips. "She got her revenge on Jeffrey all right. It's ironic, huh? Her own son wouldn't believe her, and her husband's bastard did. That affair was what ruined her marriage, but in the end, the product of that affair became her best ally." 

"That's fucked up," I whispered. 

She and Walter both laughed then, a short burst of laughter that was filled with irony, not humor. I saw an expression of longing flash quickly across his face as he watched her laugh. It was gone quickly but I was sure I had seen it. She continued, "Life is full of surprises, isn't it?" 

"That's putting it mildly," I said. 

"Yes, well, she left him two houses, acreage in West Virginia near Williamsburg and several fat bank accounts, stocks, all kinds of investments. And as you know, each of his parents owned a couple of houses, IRAs, stocks. He sold all the property which included six houses and several pieces of property. Christ, Mulder's got to be worth over a half a billion." 

I whistled quietly. "What did Jeffrey get?" I asked. 

She held up her fingers, the thumb and forefinger meeting. "The big goose egg, gentlemen. The big goose egg." 

Walter whistled in astonishment. "No wonder he was so pissed off. I thought he hated Mulder on principal only because he thought he was nuts and a thorn in his side." 

"No, there was a lot more to it. Another irony is that Mulder didn't even know that Jeffrey was his brother. He may have suspected, but he didn't know for sure. He never understood why Cassandra left everything to him. I don't think he told anyone, not even Scully. He was never gregarious about his finances anyway. I think the money almost embarrassed him. Look at that dump he lived in. I guess Mulder just figured that she couldn't get past Jeffrey's betrayal, that he wouldn't believe her. I think she always wished that Mulder was her son instead of Jeffrey. CGB was trying to groom Jeffrey for the Consortium. She knew it. It was her final big 'fuck you' to C.G.B. and Jeffrey. She didn't want her money helping the Consortium." 

"And now?" 

"He doesn't hate Mulder anymore. He resented him for being the son that got his father's attention, even if Mulder didn't know Spender was his father. But after his mother died, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. He went nuts that Mulder got the Spender fortune as well as his own. He was determined to destroy him. He and Diana were in on it together. She wanted him destroyed too, although their agendas were different, their goal was the same." 

"They didn't succeed obviously," I said. There was so much I didn't know and I was realizing just how much. The series of events that I was ignorant of were staggering. I needed to be filled in on some of these things. Maybe I could pry them out of Walter while we did all this running around. 

"No, he didn't succeed," Marita confirmed. "C.G.B. wouldn't let him." 

"Ouch," Walter said under his breath. 

"Yup. He finally stood up to his father and all the lies. And we all know where that got him." 

"Shot," Walter said. 

"More than shot," she said. "C.G.B. handed him over to the aliens, knowing they would experiment on him." 

"Christ!" I exclaimed. "How could a father do that to a son?" Thoughts of my own Luke flooded my mind. I simply couldn't imagine hating your offspring that much. 

"How indeed?" Marita asked. "C.G.B. never expected him to live. But he did." 

"Because of you?" Walter asked. 

"I ... asked if he could be spared. I went over C.G.B.'s head to the Consortium leaders and convinced them that C.G.B. was using their project to carry out his personal vendettas and he was risking everything they'd worked for. I bargained for his life with a promise of silence. 

"I threatened to expose them. They could have killed me, but not before I exposed at least one of them and that would have opened the floodgate for others to look too closely. So they agreed. Jeffrey was released, but the damage was already done. He went into hiding. After that, I made further arrangements to protect my position." 

"Why did you bargain for him? Marita, you risked your life for him. What does he mean to you?" Walter asked. 

Did I detect a note of jealousy? I might have imagined it, but I didn't think so. 

"He helped me out once. Let's just say I owed him. And I killed two birds with one stone. I got to thumb my nose at C.G.B. and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. I was tired of being under this thumb. I wanted out and this was my final kiss off. I saved the son he wanted to be rid of." 

"What's his real name?" Walter asked. "What does the C.G.B. stand for?" 

"Christopher Griffin Bradley." 

"Ooo, hoity, toity," I commented. 

She smiled. "What good does thumbing your nose at a dead man do? Did it ease your conscience?" Walter asked. 

God, he was really hammering on her and I didn't think that was going to get us what we wanted. I shot him a look that said, 'back off some' and he sat back in his chair, sighing and taking another sip of his coffee. 

Marita seemed unruffled by his sarcasm. "I have some more news for you, Walter." 

"What's that?" he asked, sounding totally uninterested. 

"He's not dead." 

Walter coughed on the coffee he had just swallowed and slammed his mug on the table so hard it shook. He cleared his throat and stared at her. "What did you say?" 

"You heard me," she said calmly. "Black lung bastard has nine lives." 

"How do you know? Where is he?" 

"Ah, now don't go running off half cocked. You may need him." 

"Why?" 

"Because he can give you the most important ingredient you need for your magic magnetite compound." 

"Son of a bitch," Walter whispered. 

"He's living on a pile of it." 

"What do you mean?" I asked. 

"Ever hear of the Anasazi ruins, Agent Doggett?" 

I nodded. "I've read all the X-Files." 

She raised her eyebrows. "I'm impressed." 

"Wanted to know my job." 

"Still impressed,' she stated simply. "Well, that's where he is, with an old Indian squaw named Redfeather. They live like savages, squatting in those ruins." 

"Why? Because there's magnetite there?" 

"Exactly," she stated. "He knows the super soldiers can't get him there. He's double crossed one too many people in his lifetime and he's no longer welcome in any camp." 

"I thought Krycek killed him," Walter said quietly. 

She looked at him and said, "I did too. I was there, but we ran and evidently the fall didn't kill him. Alex pushed him down a staircase, wheelchair and all." 

"What do you do for work now?" I asked. 

She smiled cryptically again, that half smile that so unnerved me for some reason. "I stay silent." 

I drew my brows together in question. Walter jumped in. "They pay you keep quiet?" he asked. 

She nodded. "I can't work anymore. Nobody on the hill will hire me. I have too much baggage and ... I simply know too much. They don't trust me and they made sure to ruin my reputation on the hill. None of the Secretary Generals or Senators would touch me with a ten foot pole now." 

"I'm sorry, Marita," Walter said, showing his first glimmer of compassion for the woman. 

"Are you?" she asked. After a pause, she said, "They tried to experiment with me too, with the black oil. I wasn't valuable enough anymore ... or I knew too much. Who knows?" 

"I know," he said quietly, as though he'd forgotten what she had been through and now felt guilty. 

"Jeffrey saved me." 

He stared at her then. "I thought Mulder saved you." 

"Oh he helped me escape, but I was dying." 

"How did Jeffrey help?" 

"He threatened Krycek. Told him to find the antidote for me or he would expose his double-crossing to C.G.B. Krycek knew that would be the end for him. He could have killed Jeffrey, but for some reason he didn't. Maybe because he would have had to come up with a reason for killing Chris' son and he couldn't do that without exposing his own duplicity. Maybe he just felt sorry for him. Who knows? I never could figure Krycek out." 

We were silent, waiting for her to continue. I was restless to get going, to be doing something, but I sensed that there was no rushing this woman. She would tell us only exactly what she felt like telling us. What she did tell us, she would tell in her own time. She wouldn't be pushed. Despite being beaten down and black mailed and paid off and living in fear ... I sensed a strength in this woman that was rare. She would do what she needed to survive and I couldn't blame her for that. 

"So what happened?" Walter asked. 

"Krycek gave Jeffrey a ampule of the antidote they had developed and he brought it to me, injected me and stayed with me while I got well. It was not a pleasant experience. The antidote was weak, but it was enough for my own body's antibodies to kick in and start helping me fight it off, but it was like going through drug withdrawal I would imagine." 

I shivered at the thought. "Shit," I muttered. 

She looked at me again then and said. "I've been hiding and running for a long time. I want all this to end. They will kill me if they ever find out I helped you. And you know what? Some days I care and other days ... I don't even care anymore." 

I nodded and said, "I'll understand if you don't feel you can." 

Walter said, "I won't. I've been where you are, Marita. Krycek held me captive with those fucking nanites in my blood for years. I did what I had to in order to survive, but I also did what I could do to help Mulder and Scully. It was the only way I could live with myself for partially selling out. I was no good to them dead, but I did what I could." 

"So you're asking me to do what I can?" 

"Yes," he stated firmly. "I'm sorry for a lot of things, Marita, but we really need your help." He paused and swallowed hard. "Please. Don't hold out because of me and our personal differences This is bigger than us. You know that." He paused and then said, "We need your help, Marita." 

She cocked her head to side, seemingly surprised by this personal appeal. 

His voice was gruff when he said, "Please help us." 

She looked at him and held his gaze for a moment. Then she said, "I'll set up a meeting and call you." She looked at me. "Give me your digital phone number." 

I pulled out my notepad and jotted down the number. She stuck it in the pocket of her cardigan sweater. Then she added, "Wait here." 

She returned with a map of the New Mexico and Arizona deserts and circled the Anasazi ruins with a red felt tip pen. She handed the map to Walter and he smiled tentatively at her. She said, "You'll find magnetite there but I can't tell you how to extract it. C.G.B. may know. But you'll still need Jeffrey. He has the rest of the ... recipe for the biological compound." 

"Well, if we can't make the compound for some reason, maybe we can all get a hunk of magnetite to carry around in our pockets." 

She laughed then, the sound genuine this time and turned to me. "If you can do that, bring me one, will you?" 

I smiled and nodded. "I'll be sure to do that." 

She nodded again, looking sad, but satisfied with her decision to help us. 

Walter asked. "You know who they are in the FBI, don't you?" 

She looked at him. "I'm sorry, Walter. I can't tell you that." 

They stared at each other for a few more moments. Then Skinner nodded, accepting that she needed that information to survive and she had helped us all she could or would at this point. 

We stood and Walter took her hand, holding it a bit longer than necessary and said, "Thank you, Marita. I'll try to make sure you don't regret helping us." 

"I won't. I have no time for regrets, Walter." 

"Just the same," he added. "Don't give up, Marita. Even if you don't care some days ... whether you believe it or not ... I still care." He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers and her eyes grew suspiciously wet. She nodded and turned to shake my hand. We left and drove in silence for quite a while. Skinner pulled into the Lincoln Diner and we went in to grab a late dinner. 

* * *

**LINCOLN DINER**  
**WASHINGTON, D.C.**

After we got our food and began to eat, I asked, "So what are you not telling me, Walter?" 

"About what?" 

"About Marita," I said. 

He just looked at me. "What makes you think I'm not telling you something?" 

I raised my eyebrows. "Come on. There was obviously tension there that had nothing to do with our situation," I commented. 

He looked down at his burger and took another bite, chewing slowly as though formulating an answer, or deciding whether to confide in me. "It's a long story." 

"Is there a short version?" 

He looked well and truly baffled. "We were involved once ... a long time ago." 

When he didn't offer anything more, I said, "You can trust me. I promise it would stay between us." 

He was silent for a few more moments and then said, "I blew it. I accused her of being a traitor." 

"Traitor to whom?" 

"To Mulder and Scully, to the Bureau ... to everyone with a white hat." 

"Why would you do that?" 

"I believed it was true. I found out she'd had dealings with Krycek and he was public enemy number one as far as we were concerned. I went to see her and smelled smoke there and she doesn't smoke so I knew Spender had been there. It infuriated me. I was paranoid." 

"Why?" 

"I figured she was being ordered to use me." 

"Use you?" 

"I found out later she was definitely on his payroll at one time. Yeah, I figured Spender hired her to get into my pants and then into my head." 

"Did she?" 

"She got into my pants," he said with a quirky smile. 

"Whewww," I whistled. 

"Do you still believe she betrayed you?" 

"I don't know. She never denied it when I accused her of it. That always bugged me. If she had only denied it, I might have reconsidered. But she didn't even give a token protest, just looked at me like I was the anti-Christ. Later on she did help Mulder and then I didn't know what to believe. I never knew which side she was on, other than her own. I guess that's why I couldn't trust her. I couldn't carry on a relationship that way, even just a sexual one. It was volatile from the beginning. I guess if she had really sold me out, I would be dead. She certainly knew enough about me to ruin me in the FBI and put me on the Consortium hit list." 

"She'd have been hard to walk away from. She's a beautiful, intelligent woman." 

He swallowed and said, "It wasn't easy. She got me over a hump after my divorce, made me feel... I don't know, capable of ... I don't know. But I couldn't stay with someone I didn't trust." 

"So you never talked about it after that?" 

"Nope." 

"Maybe you should have." 

"Maybe, but it's too late now." 

"Never too late, Walter." 

"Not worth it now, not something I want anyway." 

"You sure?" I asked quietly. 

He stared at me and then down into his coffee cup. "I don't know anything for sure anymore." 

"Well, we can check out these leads and see if they are true. And we'll know soon enough if she calls to make a date with Jeffrey." 

"She will. If she tells you to your face she'll do something, she'll do it. That's what was always so frustrating. She never lied outright. It was the things she didn't tell you that were the problem." 

"Like who in the FBI is an alien?" 

He looked at me again. "Sounds silly when you say it that way. But yes, that's the sort of thing I mean. She's scary. She's knows a lot of things about a lot of powerful men. Don't ever underestimate her, John. That could cost you your life. Make no mistake. She's wily and she's an extremely dangerous woman, a player in every sense of the word." 

He almost sounded afraid of her, rather than respectful of her power. I wondered how much was personal and how much was professional. "Doesn't seem to make her feel very secure." 

"She's still alive isn't she?" 

"Is that the criteria you go by?" 

"She'd be dead by now if she wasn't savvy. She's not above a little blackmail herself. She knows enough to ruin a lot of powerful men in Washington." "Including you?" I asked. 

He looked at me then, unsure whether to answer. Finally he said, "Yes, including me. She's not just beautiful, she like a fucking black widow. She's so smart it's frightening. And she knows how to play the game. She's always been one step ahead of everyone, even the Consortium, I think." 

"That doesn't mean she can't get tripped up." 

"No, I guess it doesn't." 

"I think you should cut her some slack." 

"Why's that?" 

"Because she might be willing to help more if she thought you believed in her." 

"She doesn't give a damn what I think of her. I don't think she ever did." 

I tipped my head to the side, peering at him. I could hear the hurt in his voice. "I'll bet you'd be surprised." 

"Why? Do you know something I don't?" he asked. 

"No, but I'm a pretty good judge of character." I paused. "And I can read body language like a motherfucker." 

He barked out a laugh then, sounding self-conscious. "And what did you learn?" 

"A couple of things." 

"Want to enlighten me?" 

"What's it worth to ya?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood. 

He shook his head. "What do you want?' 

"Information. Stories about past incidents that would help fill in the blanks for me. I want a new story every chance you get." 

He grinned then. "You drive a hard bargain," he stated. 

"You willing to pay?" I asked seriously, knowing I would tell him anyway, even if he refused. 

"Yes, I trust you now." 

I nodded. "Good to know. Well I learned that you still have the hots for her." 

He bit his lip, shaking his head. "You're crazy." 

"No, I'm not. I don't know where your emotions are, but I know you still want her. And guess what?" 

"What?" 

"She still wants you too." 

He swallowed. "I don't believe that." 

"There's more." 

He just looked at me, not asking. He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth in a rare display of indecision and uncertainty. 

"She wants you to believe in her, A.D. Skinner." 

"Call me Walter." 

"O.K., Walter. She wants you to trust her again." 

"Can I?" 

"I don't know for sure, but I think she's through with all the deceit. She's tired. Couldn't you hear it in her voice? The weariness? She's tired of it all. And even if it ends her life, she just wants it over one way or the other." 

He looked at me then. "You got all that from body language?" 

"And tone of voice and facial expressions and dramatic pauses." 

"Pretty good." 

"Fucking incredible," I said, trying to suppress a smile. 

He huffed in amusement. "Modesty becomes you," he said sarcastically. 

"One of my best features." I paused. "Then again, I could be wrong," I said flippantly. 

"Features? Sounds like you're describing an appliance." 

"I'll keep the description of my appliances to myself, thank you," I shot back. 

He laughed for real then. "Thanks, I don't think I want to know," he added, joining the banter. It was nice to spar with him like this. It was a side of him I hadn't known existed. I'd never really given a thought to his personal life. But I supposed everybody had one. He had been involved a lovely, lethal woman with a lot of secrets. But she was also a woman. If I knew anything about women it was that there was usually more than met the eye. 

He said, "You might be right. But you're wrong about one thing. She'll never be through with all the deceit. It keeps her alive. She's a master chess player with people as pawns. Don't ever forget that." 

"I'll take your word for it. You know her better than I do. But I think your history is clouding your perception of her motivations a bit. She's also a woman, Walter. I'd lay money down that she cares for you ... and not just a little. I'm rarely wrong about these things." 

"Maybe," was all he said. 

All this talk made me think of Monica, not by comparison, but by contrast. Monica was so open and so honest. What you saw was what you got with Monica. There were no hidden agendas, no false bravado, no skeletons. I guess everybody had at least one skeleton in the closet, but I suspected that Monica was about as clean as they come. I remembered how close I came to losing her after that night she left my place and had an accident. 

I frowned and wondered at my cowardice and inability to tell her how I felt. Here I was giving Walter insight, and I couldn't do the same thing for myself. I was a hypocrite. Then again, it was hard to be objective about yourself. 

"Hey, where'd you go?" he asked. 

I shrugged. 

"What were you thinking about?" 

"Monica," I said simply. 

We looked at each other and he nodded. "She digs you, man." 

I grinned, those hip words sounding funny from his lips. This was the real Walter. This was Walter the man, not Walter the A.D. and I liked this Walter. I liked the other one all right too, but this was more interesting. 

"You think?" I asked. I cringed, sounding pathetically hopeful to my own ears. 

"I know," he said. 

"Let me guess? Body language?" I joked. 

We both laughed then and he changed the subject. "Let's call the cabin and then call it a night. I want a good night's sleep and then I want to start fresh in the morning." 

"Sounds good. Maybe Monica will have found arrangements for Mulder and Scully in Mexico by then." 

"Let's hope, John. I don't want your ex involved in any way if we can help it." 

"Neither do I." 

* * *

* * *

**PART 4 (PG)**  
VanDeKamp RESIDENCE  
**ARIZONA**

The girl watched the woman like a hawk as she brought the baby into the living room, coaxing the nipple of a bottle between his lips. The woman sat in a rocking chair opposite the couch and fed the baby, keeping one eye on the girl. 

"How did you know I have a baby?" 

The girl hesitated. "He's ... related to me." 

The woman sucked in a breath. "How can that be?" 

"He's adopted, right?" 

"Yes," she breathed out, feeling that fizzle of fear again. 

The girl seemed to sense it and said, "Don't worry about me. I would never hurt him." 

"How is he related to you?" 

"He's my ... half brother." 

"You know his mother?" 

"Yes," the girl said simply. 

"You said you left an abusive situation. Is that why she gave this baby up? I was told she was single and it was a life decision." 

The girl licked her lips. "That's true, I think, although I'm not sure. But I didn't come from the same ... household." 

"Why don't you explain to me exactly what's going on and why you're here?" 

"I ... I said we were ... half siblings. William and I have different ... fathers." 

"Ah, so you lived with your father?" 

"Yes," she stated simply. 

"And he beat you?" 

"I don't really want to talk about that if you don't mind." 

"O.K., but I need some answers here. This adoption was confidential. How did you know about it?" 

"My father and his family ... they know everything." 

"He's a powerful man, then?" 

The girl hesitated. "More powerful than you can ever imagine." 

She felt the inexplicable fear of the child again and shook herself, wondering at it. She was just a child. There was definitely something odd going on here. She wished her husband would come home. He would probably deal with this better than she would. He would know the right questions to ask the little girl. He would know if they should help her or if they should send her back to her parents. She didn't like the idea of sending a child back into an abusive situation. 

The thought of child abuse infuriated her. There were so many women, like her, that longed for a child and couldn't have one. Then these people carelessly had children they didn't want and abused and neglected them. She supposed that the girl had an adult attitude and was exceptionally jaded. She needed to cut her some slack and stop reading all this ominous stuff into what was going on here. The girl had known about the half brother. Somehow the father knew where he had gone, and she came here looking for help, probably because it was the only place she could think of to go. 

She obviously carried no weapons and she had seen genuine fear in her eyes when she said her father was more powerful than she could ever imagine. 

"What do you need from me?" the woman asked. 

"Can you help me find a phone number?" 

"Sure, your aunt and uncle, was it?" 

"Yes." 

"What's her name?" 

"I need the number for the Federal Bureau of Investigation." 

"Excuse me?" 

"That's where my ... uncle works." 

"Wow. So he's a powerful man too." 

"Yes, not as powerful as my father, but yes. More like ... he has resources." 

"I see," she replied, even though she didn't. 

"Look, I'll find this number for you, but I feel like I'm missing something here and I wish you'd be honest with me." 

"Can I hold him?" she asked, ignoring the statement. 

The woman hesitated but then stood and carefully placed the baby in the girl's lap as she sat Indian style on the couch. 

The girl hissed and the woman made ready to snatch the baby up again. The girl smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot about my sunburn." 

The woman smiled, relieved. She watched carefully as the girl held the end of the bottle gently. She wasn't even large enough to pick the child up, but she could see genuine affection in her face. Her misgivings eased somewhat when the girl smiled and said, "Hey there, little bro. Glad you found a good home." 

The woman swallowed heavily around the sudden lump in her throat. She could only imagine what this little girl had been through. It must have been terrible to chase her out into the desert alone. She sensed that the little girl was looking for a good home too. She startled at the sudden thought that maybe they could adopt the sister too. It wasn't anything they had planned but then again, it wasn't as if they couldn't afford it. Her husband made good money. 

"Are you looking for a good home?" she asked, surprised to hear herself voice the question. 

The girl looked up with a look of infinite sadness on her face. It was a face way too world weary for a seven year old. She blinked rapidly and then said, "Maybe someday. I don't know if it will ever be in the cards for me." 

"Oh honey, I'm sure it will be. I'm sure your aunt and uncle will help you." 

She nodded and said, "I can only hope. I can only hope," she repeated, her words trailing off at the end to a whisper, as she looked lovingly at the baby. Then she said, "He's so beautiful." 

The woman smiled. "Yes, he is." 

After another moment she said, "If you're all right there, I'll call information and see if I can find that number for you." 

"That would be great." 

The little girl waited until the woman left the room to speak to William. Then she looked down at the child in her arms and closed her eyes. The baby stopped suckling his bottle, his eyes riveted on the girl. 

"Are you well?" she sent the thought. 

The baby replied in a similar fashion, the words clear in the little girl's mind. "Ya, but miss mommy." 

"I know sweetheart, me too." 

"Coming back?" 

"I'll try to find her." 

"Find mommy, miss mommy." 

"You have a new mommy." 

"Nice lady, miss mommy." 

"I'll find her, William. I'll find her. If they come, you must be quiet." 

"Be quite if they come." 

"Yes, quiet, don't let them know you're in the house." 

"Will try." 

"Can you walk yet at all?" 

"No." 

"Can you crawl?" 

"Yes." 

"Try to hide if they come." 

"You leaving?" 

"I have to." 

"Find mommy, miss mommy." 

"I'll find her, Will." 

"Good." 

She jerked her connection away from the baby as the woman entered, smiling. "I found the number, sweetheart." 

"Thank you, Ma'am. Could you take Will here? I haven't regained my strength yet." 

"Sure," the woman replied, smiling internally, knowing the girl couldn't lift the baby on a good day but didn't want to admit it. This show of pretend made her somehow more a little girl and she smiled at her again, a genuine smile. She had to help the girl. If her uncle worked at the FBI, chances were she could get more help there than she could give her. 

She handed her the portable phone and asked, "Do you need privacy?" 

"That would be nice," the girl replied politely. 

The woman carried Will back into the kitchen to wait. She could hear everything from here but the child didn't know that. 

* * *

**HOOVER BUILDING**  
**A.D. SKINNER'S OFFICE**

My intercom buzzed and I grunted with impatience. I was here with Doggett and had asked not to be disturbed. I stabbed the intercom button on the phone. 

"What is it, Kimberly?" I growled. 

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Sir, but I think you should take this call." 

"Who the hell is it?" 

"It's a little girl, Sir." 

"A little girl. What the hell are you talking about? What does she want?" 

"She says she's ... this is weird." 

"Spit it out, Kim. I don't have all day." 

"Sir, she says that she has information for Agents Scully and Mulder." 

Doggett was listening to the exchange on speakerphone and raised an eyebrow. Skinner said, "Put her through, Kim." 

"Yes, Sir." 

I watched the light begin to blink on my phone as the call was transferred and I picked up using the speakerphone again. 

"A.D. Skinner." This had better not be some prank, I thought. 

"Hello, I need to get a message to Agents Mulder and Scully." 

"Who are you?" 

"Is there someone else there?" 

"Agent John Doggett?" 

"Oh, that's all right, then. No one else?" 

"No, just the two of us." 

"They need to come to Arizona." 

"Why is that?" 

"They know." 

"Excuse me, but I don't know what you're talking about." 

"William, they know about William; know where he is." 

"Who knows?" 

"THEY do." 

"Listen little girl, I appreciate the call, but we don't even know the location of the family that took Agent Scully's baby. She wanted it that way." 

"She needs to come. He's in danger." 

I was silent, wondering what the hell was going on. 

"Who are you?" 

"My name is Emily." 

I felt that pronouncement like a blow to the chest. "Emily's dead," I croaked out. 

"Emily One did die." 

"And who are you?" I asked, feeling completely bewildered. 

"I'm Emily Five." 

Doggett's mouth hung open and then he said, "Oh, Jesus. This just keeps getting weirder." 

"You know about Emily?" I asked. 

He nodded. "I read the file." 

"Gentlemen," the little girl said, in a very grown up voice. "I don't have much time. I escaped and I have to keep moving and I don't want to lead them to William. They must have discovered me missing by now but they won't know which direction I went. I know they are still a mile away or more and I need to leave soon." 

"Leave where?" 

"The VanDeKamp's. Get a pencil. Let me give you this address." 

"Where will we be able to find you?" 

"You won't. I'll find you." 

"What do we need to do?" 

"They know where William is and they will come for him." 

"You know this for sure?" 

"Yes, you maybe have three days, tops. They've scheduled it for the weekend when the VanDeKamp's are going to church and leaving the baby with a sitter." 

"Shit," I muttered. 

"Please, Mr. Skinner. You have to get in touch with them. Where are they?" 

"I can't tell you that." 

"Well, then contact them and I'll try to contact you later." 

"Do you have a pencil?" 

"Why?" 

"Let me give you my digital phone number, and Agent Doggett's number." 

"Go ahead." 

"Got a piece of paper?" 

"I don't need one. Go." 

"O.K. Mine is (555) 232-0888, and Agent Doggett's is (555) 232-4961, got that?" 

"Yes." 

"Don't forget." 

"I won't," she replied, sounding amused. "I have a memory like my father's," she said calmly. 

I was struck mute. Doggett finally said, "Emily, who's your father?" 

"You don't know?" she asked. 

"I'm afraid we don't. Who is your father?" 

"Agent Mulder," she said, as if this weren't momentous news. 

"How can that be?" I asked. 

"Too long of a story for now, Mr. Skinner. Just get them the message. And if you can't, please come yourselves." 

"What will happen to the VanDeKamp's if we don't make it?" 

Her silence was ominous. "I doubt they'll make it." 

"Shit," I muttered at the same time Doggett did. 

"That's all the time I have gentlemen. I have to go." She hung up and we listened the dial tone for several moments before I hung up. 

"Jesus Christ!" Doggett exclaimed. 

"Get on the horn to that cabin. I'll see if I can get a charter plane." 

* * *

**HUNTING CABIN**  
**ADIRONDACKS**  
**NEW YORK STATE**

I answered Dana's cell phone, "Hello." 

"Monica?" John asked. 

"Yeah, what's up John?" 

"I need to talk to Scully." 

"Uh ... they're having a little private time ... in the shower." 

"Pull them out." 

"John, what's wrong?" she asked. 

"Just get Dana on the phone." 

"All right. Just a sec." 

I walked to the bathroom door and knocked loudly. I heard scuffling and then Mulder yelled, "Yeah?" 

"Dana, sorry but I've got John on the phone and he says it's urgent." 

"Be right out!" she shouted. 

I heard some chuckling and shuffling and then she emerged in a towel and a billow of steam, shutting the door behind her. She made her way to the bedroom where'd she'd left some clothes as she took the phone from me. 

"Hi, John. What's going on?" 

Pause. 

"About what?" 

Pause. 

"William? What about William?" I could already hear the fear in her voice. 

Mulder emerged from bathroom wearing jeans and nothing else. I turned my head and when I glanced at him he was smiling. Then he saw the look on Scully's face as she emerged from the bedroom, pulling a sweater over her head. She had somehow jumped into her jeans very quickly. She glanced at Mulder. "Get dressed." 

He didn't question her but went into the bedroom. 

I watched Scully nod and then she asked him, "When?" 

"We'll be packed and ready to go. Jesus, John, we have to be on time." 

She hung up and looked at me. I waited patiently for her to tell me what was going on. She waited until Mulder emerged wearing a worried frown. 

"You won't believe this Mulder." 

"What?" 

"Skinner got a call at the Bureau from someone ... someone who says William is in danger, that the aliens know where he is and they are going to take him." 

"Shit!" he exclaimed. 

"That we need to get there right away," she continued. 

"Where?" 

"She gave them an address in Arizona. Doggett and Skinner are on their way by charter plane, but we have to get off this mountain and meet them at the private air strip in Burlington. It's near a hospital that uses the same area for a helipad." 

"Who called, Scully?" Mulder asked. 

She stared at him and her eyes filled with tears. "This is the part you won't believe." 

"Tell me," he said. 

"Emily," she whispered. 

He scrunched his brow. "Oh Scully, you can't think ... we know that she ..." 

Scully's lip quivered and she said, "She said she was ... Emily Five." 

"Oh Jesus," Mulder muttered and he gathered her in his arms. 

"There's more," she mumbled against his tee shirt. She pulled back enough to see his face. He just looked at her. "She said ... she said ... YOU were her father." 

Mulder's face registered shock and disbelief but then he just nodded. "We'll sort it out, Scully. First things first." 

I felt left out and didn't really know what to do at this point. "What do we need to do first?" 

"We need to pack up and get out of here, apparently," Mulder said briskly. "I'll take the clothes, you girls get everything else we need in boxes and in the trunk. How long before they reach Burlington?" he asked. 

Scully said, "About an hour and a half. John's piloting." 

"I didn't know he could fly," Mulder commented. 

I smiled. "John is full of surprises." 

We all scrambled to throw our belongings in boxes and suitcases. Fortunately, we had traveled light. In fifteen minutes we were packed and in the car. Mulder traveled as fast as the dirt road would allow but it still took us a half an hour to get off the mountain. Then he sped toward the hospital like his ass was on fire. 

* * *

**BURLINGTON AIRSTRIP**  
**NEW YORK STATE**

We'd called the tiny airport for clearance en route, using the old 'Official FBI business' line. Worked every time. Doggett was relaxed in the seat next to me as we made our landing. I had been surprised to find out he was a licensed chopper and fighter pilot, apparently having flown during his stint in the marines and Viet Nam. He shut down the engines and he waited a bit for the engines to cycle down. Finally, he gave us the thumb's up and we unbuckled our seatbelts and exited the plane to stretch our legs. 

They weren't here yet. The airstrip was across the street from the Emergency Room entrance of the Burlington Hospital. I could see several people standing out in the parking lot eyeballing us. This was probably the most excitement they'd had in years. There was literally nothing but small towns out here. I'd been surprised they had an airstrip pad. 

We didn't have to wait long. Five minutes later, the black Ford came barreling into the parking lot, practically on two wheels. This got the attention of the onlookers. We helped them unload and toss their stuff onto the plane. Mulder parked the car and ran to the plane, entering last. Within minutes, we were in the air again and winging our way towards Arizona. I suggested we all get some sleep. It might be the last chance we got for some time. 

* * *

VanDeKamp RESIDENCE  
**ARIZONA DESERT**

Mrs. VanDeKamp abandoned all pretense and as soon as the girl hung up the phone she said, "What the HELL are you talking about?" 

The girl swung around and met her gaze. It chilled her to the bone. She had a faraway look in her eyes. "They're coming." 

"Tell me what you mean?!" 

"You need to hide, maybe I can distract them. They are coming a lot faster than I thought they would. I really thought I had some time." 

"What on earth are you talking about? THEY know this and THEY are coming, and you're Emily FIVE. None of this makes sense and I want some answers!" 

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I don't have time to give you answers. Just believe me. You and William are in danger. You need to hide, get out of here." 

"And go where?" 

"I don't know, where's the nearest hospital?" 

"Forty miles away." 

"Get in your car and go. They'll search the house first, maybe I can lay a false trail." 

"What are you talking about? Why would anyone want to hurt my baby?" 

"He's a special child, Mrs. VanDeKamp." 

"Who wants him?" 

"My creators." 

"What?!" 

"They aren't human." 

The woman scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous." 

She opened her mouth to say more but something in the little girl's eyes stopped her. Whether her ideas were fantastic or not, she was scared. I had a feeling it was her parents coming for her, but how would she know that? 

"Listen to me. Get in the car and drive, go anywhere. Find your husband." 

"None of this makes sense!" 

"I know it doesn't, but you must trust me. If you don't listen to me now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. William is in danger." 

She wondered if she was losing her mind, but she was going to do this. She was going to listen to a little seven year old girl with the speech of an adult and the ideas of a madwoman. She was going to take the baby and run. 

She nodded with resolve and ran to the kitchen, stuffing several bottles into a diaper bag. She ran to the bedroom and put some diapers and jumpers in the bag. Then she headed for the car. Emily followed her with a stroller helping her load the trunk. 

They strapped Will in the back and Emily connected with him. 

"Be good for Mrs. VanDeKamp." 

"Always good for nice lady." 

"Good boy. I'll catch up." 

"Find mommy?" 

"Yes, but you need to run away now." 

"Miss mommy." 

"Go now, be a good boy." 

"Bye ... sister?" 

"Yes, Will. I'm your sister." 

"Bye sister." 

"Bye bro." 

He gurgled out loud and shook his fists. Mrs. VanDeKamp watched as she turned in her seat, feeling that something was going on here that she didn't understand as her baby stared into the eyes of the little girl. She felt the wave of fear again. This child was so strange. But then Will laughed and pumped his fists in the air, obviously not scared of her at all. 

Emily slapped the car door and leaned in the window. "Drive, and don't stop. I'll let you know when you can come back." 

"How?" 

"I'll find you." 

The woman shuddered. As impossible as it seemed, she believed the girl would find her. She wondered if God had sent the girl, if she was an angel. Her husband would laugh at her but she always wondered if God's angels weren't just people here on earth to guide us. 

She started the engine and put the car in drive. With a nod at the girl, she took off down the dirt road, headed for town. 

* * *

**A FEW HOURS LATER**

We touched down near the VanDeKamp house right on the dirt road that led to the house and already knew that we were too late. I exchanged glances with Monica and John. Their expressions were grim. Mulder and Scully were focused on the house. 

It was a charred ruin, black smoke billowing out of the shell that was still standing. Scully cried out, a sound of howling despair as she leaped from the plane as soon as we could open the door and ran towards the house. Mulder was after her in a flash and stopped her before she ran inside the burning building. 

"Scully No!" He bear hugged her from behind. She struggled for a moment but then just wailed, "Wiiiihiiilllliiiiaammm," and began sobbing. He turned her in his arms and held her. We had all exited the plane and stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say. 

Mulder was turning to coax her back to the chopper when John called out, "What's that?" 

We all turned and looked out into the desert. There was a lump on the ground far out, about five hundred yards away. We all took off trotting towards it. Monica and John drew there weapons just in case. We could see it moving as we approached. 

As we got closer, we could see it was a child, kneeling now with her head resting on her thighs. She was wearing shorts and a huge tee-shirt that engulfed her. As we approached she lifted her head and held out a hand in the universal sign for stop. We all skidded to a halt about 10 yards away. 

Her face was covered in soot and her legs were sunburned. I gasped as I saw a trail of green ooze, running down her arm from a jagged cut on her bicep. Her voice croaked out, "Don't come any closer." 

Scully whimpered, "Oh God, oh God, oh God." 

I glanced over as Mulder put his arm around her shoulders as though to hold her up. Her hands were clasped over her mouth. The girl was bigger than the Emily I knew but not by much. Despite the dirt, sand and soot, you could tell she was blonde, her face still graced with baby fat cheeks. 

She swayed on her knees and brought her left palm up and laid it over the ooze on her bicep, pushing the tee shirt out of the way. Her eyes closed and she swayed slightly again. None of us said a word as we waited. 

After a minute or so, her eyes popped open and she reached for a handful of sand. When she did, we saw that the cut was healed. She scooped up a handful of sand and rubbed it into her arm, the remnants of the green ooze disappearing into the sand. 

She stood on wobbly legs and said, "Hi. It's all right now." 

Scully chuffed in amazement, staring, as though she couldn't believe her eyes. "Emily?" 

The girl flashed a beautiful smile through the streaks of soot on her face and said, "Hi, Mom." 

Scully let out a yelp of disbelief and fell to her knees and held out her arms. The girl walked clumsily to her and then kneeled in front of her accepting the embrace. Scully held her close to her chest, tears streaking down her cheeks. 

"Oh God, how can this be? I find you but lose William." 

The girl pulled back a bit and said, "William wasn't here." 

Silence descended again as we waited. "I need to get out of the sun. I'm dehydrating again." 

"Oh, geez." 

Scully struggled to her feet, unwilling to let go of the girl and so making her ascent clumsy. Mulder approached and said, "Let me carry her, Scully." 

Emily looked at him and held her arms up. Mulder licked his lips and bent down, scooping her up gently. She seemed fascinated with his face and stared at him as he strode confidently toward the plane. 

We came to save a baby and we were rescuing an alien kid. Did life get any weirder than this? I wondered. 

We all boarded the plane and found a jug to put the potable water in from the tank on the plane that supplied the sink in the tiny restroom. After downing an entire bottle of water without stopping, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. "Can I have more?" 

Mulder refilled the half gallon jug and handed it to her. "Is William safe?" 

She looked at him. "For the moment. I convinced Mrs. VanDeKamp to leave with him. She thought I was a nutcase but she went anyway. They came and searched the house. I led them on a merry chase. They finally gave up and went off to try another day I suppose." 

"They didn't want to find you?" Mulder asked. 

"Of course they do, but they know they can find me later. It's William that's important." 

"Where did she go?" 

"I'm not sure. I told her to run and not stop running, that I would find her later when it was all right to come back. My guess is that she would go to her husband first." 

"Any idea where he is?" Scully asked. 

"No." 

* * *

* * *

**PART 5 (PG)**  
**SOMEWHERE OVER**  
**ARIZONA DESERT**

Skinner pulled out his phone. "I'll find him." 

He began dialing and soon had the adoption agency on the phone. Using some FBI muscle he finally convinced the woman that it was a matter of life and death and she gave us the man's work address. 

He was an insurance salesman for Mutual Life, a very successful one apparently. Doggett fired up the plane and we were bumping along the dirt road in no time and lifting off the ground in minutes, heading for the nearest town where he had his office. Scully was white knuckling her seat. She hated flying at it's best and this had to be a nightmare ride for her. 

Scully was washing Emily's face with a washcloth from her medical bag and some bottled water. When she was finished, Emily said, "If we get close, maybe I can reach him." 

"Reach him?" Scully asked. 

"Talk to the baby." 

"What do you mean?" 

Emily tapped her forehead. 

Mulder grinned and Scully put on her 'Oh Brother' face. Emily and Mulder shared a look that would have been humorous if not for the grave situation. Mulder didn't even question that she could do this. He took it at face value. "You have telepathy?" 

"Only with someone with our DNA." 

"Oh," was all he said. 

She elaborated, "Will and I share DNA." 

When she received blank looks she said, "I'm what you guys call ... a test tube baby, I guess." 

Scully took a deep breath. "A.D. Skinner told us that you said Mulder was your father. How is that possible?" 

"Agent Mulder was taken and his ... uh, sperm was extracted. You were taken and your ova were extracted." 

"I was abducted long after we knew of you," Mulder said. 

She looked at him with a look I could only describe as pity. "You were taken before." 

"What?" he said. 

"This last time, they tried to make you into a super soldier, but that was not the first time you'd been taken." 

"Yes it was." 

"No, it wasn't." 

We were all silent for a moment and Mulder looked totally unnerved. Emily asked, "Do you remember your last abduction?" 

He nodded. "Some, not all. I think my mind blocked it out." 

"Yes, well, they didn't take your memory because they didn't think it would be necessary. If Mo...Agent Scully hadn't treated you with antivirals and antibiotics, you would have become a super soldier." He nodded. 

"So it wasn't necessary to take your memory. But the times before, it was. They didn't want you to remember." 

"Times?" he asked. 

She nodded. "You were taken twice before, for very short periods of time. They took blood, DNA and sperm and then returned you ... with no memory. You were probably only gone a day." 

Mulder cleared his throat as we all looked at him in wonder. He raised his eyebrows. "Like the girl says, I have no memory of this." 

She nodded. "Doesn't surprise me. I could help you recover the memory but you're probably better off without it." 

He nodded. Scully finally asked, "So what are you saying?" 

"I'm saying they inseminated your egg with Agent Mulder's sperm and then injected the embryo with alien DNA." 

"And this produced you?" 

Emily held her arms out to the side and said, "Ta-da!" 

Everyone smiled despite the gravity of the situation. She added, "You see before you a successful human/alien hybrid." 

"How old are you?" Scully asked. 

"Seven." 

"You're small for seven," Monica chimed in. 

She smiled at Monica. "Yes, they can prevent us from aging for a while and they do. Without the hormone that prevents growth, I will begin to grow rapidly. I can already feel it happening and I've only been gone about 24 hours. I didn't get my shot last night because I ran beforehand. I predict that within a couple of weeks, my body will grow to the size of a ten year old. Chronologically, I'm actually ten years old, though my body growth was arrested at the age of seven, but my intellect is high in human measure. I've actually got the intellect and education of a full grown adult; probably a person 20 years old by your measure." 

"Jesus Christ!" I muttered. "That's scary." 

She smiled at me. "Thank you for listening when I called. I was afraid you wouldn't talk to me. But when they told me Agents Mulder and Scully weren't there ... yours was the only other name I thought of." 

She looked apologetically at Monica. John was busy flying and so didn't notice her gesture to him. Monica smiled and said, "That's all right. You got through, that's what matters." 

"I'll explain more later. I need to sleep a little. I'm exhausted," she announced wearily. 

Mulder pulled her into his lap and she was sleeping in minutes. 

We all nodded in agreement and settled in for the rest of the flight which only took about fifteen minutes. Conveniently, the insurance company was located in an office building on Main Street, and behind that was a large field. John brought the small 8-seat plane down and Monica hopped out to see if she could find Mr. And Mrs. VanDeKamp. She returned about ten minutes later saying that his secretary told him that they took a sudden trip to his mother's in New Mexico. Monica waved a small piece of paper with the address. 

We were in the air again in minutes and after another hour, landed at a small airport near Las Cruces, about 187 miles southwest of Roswell. We rented a van and piled in and headed for Mrs. Candice VanDeKamp's residence. She lived on the outskirts of town and the area became more desolate as we went on. 

Finally, we found the house, alone at the end of a long dirt drive. We stepped out of the van and Emily stiffened. "They're here already. They beat us here." 

"Where?" Mulder whispered. She pointed to the house. 

We all pulled our weapons and began to surround the house. Scully said, "Stay here in the van, Emily." 

She shook her head. "No, you might need me." 

"Emily, please," Scully begged. "I don't want to lose you too." 

"It's a hunter, not a super solider," she added. She then nodded finally and climbed back into the van, kneeling and peering out the window. 

John and I took the back, Monica took the stairs up to a deck on the side of the house and Mulder and Scully went for the front porch. We didn't have to wait long. A man looking like what must have been Mr. VanDeKamp came out onto the side porch, holding William. 

Monica said, "Mr. VanDeKamp?" 

We all heard her and made our way to the side of the house. He looked down at us. "What is this? Who are you people?" 

William began to fuss and cry. 

"We're from the FBI, Sir. We didn't mean to frighten you. But we have reason to believe that your family is in grave danger." 

"So we were warned. My wife is a little excitable sometimes. I think she overreacted. But I came out here for a bit to ease her mind." 

William's face turned red and he shook his little fists. Mulder was climbing the steps, his eyes riveted on the baby. This man didn't know that he was facing the boy's parents. He was a couple of steps from the top when Emily appeared in front of the van, gesturing wildly. John eased his way toward her trying to go unnoticed. When he was close enough, Emily whispered to him. 

He turned abruptly and walked back, following Mulder up the stairs. "Could I use your bathroom, Sir?" 

The man swiveled around, William now crying full force and said, "Uh, yeah, in there, just off the left." 

Doggett nodded, muttering, "Thanks." 

I knew he was up to something and I could tell everyone else knew it too. Now Monica, Scully and Mulder surrounded him on the porch, John was inside and I was at the base of the steps. 

He was beginning to look nervous. 

"Like I said, everything's fine." 

"I'm sure it is, Sir," Mulder said. Could we talk to your wife?" 

He hesitated. "She's sleeping." 

"Could you wake her up?" 

"No! Jesus, what is this? Have we done something wrong?" 

"No, sir, but we have an obligation to make sure the place is secure before we leave." 

He swallowed and made his way to push past Scully. She laid a hand on his arm and he stopped. She gazed at William and smiled. "May I hold him?" she asked softly. 

I didn't think this was a good idea, but didn't say so. What could I say? Then again, I had my doubts as to whether this was Mr. VanDeKamp. He wasn't behaving normally. 

He cleared his throat. "He's fussy right now." 

"That's all right, just for a second. I love babies." 

I was impressed with how she keeping her cool. John suddenly appeared behind the sliding glass doors. He didn't open them but he gestured with a finger across his neck. Oh God, I thought, someone was dead inside. 

I glanced quickly at the man who was now handing the baby over to Scully. Scully turned toward me and I said, "Bring him here so I can have a look, Agent." 

She carefully made her way down the stairs, holding my eyes. She knew by my tone that something was wrong. Mulder must have seen John's gesture because as soon as Scully was off the stairs, he pulled his weapon and reached for something in his back pocket. He placed the gun at the base of the man's head and said, "Step away from the stairs, Sir." 

He hesitated for a fraction of a second and then pivoted on his heel, his fist aiming for Mulder's face. 

Mulder dodged and shoved him against the railing using his whole body and Doggett joined him, cuffing the man. "He's the hunter!" John shouted. "Mr. VanDeKamp is dead inside!" 

I figured this fake man's real identity must have been what Emily told him. Good thing we had the kid along. 

At that moment as Scully ran for the van with William, the man threw his shoulders back and the cuffs broke off his wrists. His strength was phenomenal. He easily threw Mulder and John off his back and they both crashed into the sliding glass doors. He vaulted over the side of the porch and I took a shot. It hit him in the neck, but didn't kill him. He looked at me and his head wavered as though caught between changing shapes. It was eerie. I fired again, right into his face from 10 feet away. He staggered and fell. Green blood, oozed out into a puddle around his head. Mulder was scrambling down the steps. Emily appeared at his elbow and said, "Let me." 

"No." 

"What's going on?" 

"He isn't dead," Mulder said and I saw him gripping something in his fist. 

"I know," I said. 

Emily looked at him and said, "His blood will kill you. It won't hurt me. Let me do it." 

"I can't let you kill a man, Emily." 

"He's not a man." 

"You know what I mean. You're too young to have that on your conscious." 

"It won't bother me, trust me." 

She held out her hand. Mulder hesitated and shook his head again. "I can't let you do it." 

She calmly said, "He's not my first kill." 

Mulder closed his eyes and swallowed harshly. The alien was beginning to twitch. He made a sound eerily like a moan and Emily held out her hand again. "Just let me do it and we can get out of here!" 

Mulder handed the object to her with a look of horror on his face as if he couldn't believe he was actually doing it. She snatched it from his palm and drew her thumb up the side. A wicked looking ice pick slid out of the top. She marched over to the alien and knelt down beside him. His face was melting away. 

His eyes popped open but she didn't flinch. She went to roll him over. I didn't think she would be able to do it. He was a big man, but she grunted once and over he went, face first into the dirt. She was much stronger than she looked. She pulled his collar down and drove the pick into the back of his neck without any hesitation. 

"Aaaahhhhh!" he screamed, but then was silent. A hissing sound could be heard as air and green blood spewed from the back of his neck. He was disintegrating. 

She removed the pick, retracted it back into its sheath, and marched back the way she had come, handing the pick to Mulder on her way by and saying to all us, "Let's get out of here before one of you is hurt!" 

This was one tough kid. Monica ran into the house and emerged with a diaper bag. We all piled into the van and Scully asked, "What was in there, John?" 

She was visibly shaky as she clutched William to her chest. He had quieted the moment she took him from the hunter and I hadn't heard peep from him since. 

Doggett said, "They're all dead, Mr. and Mrs. and his mother. Throats cut and laid out on the bed in the master bedroom." 

"Oh Christ!" Scully exclaimed. "I got them killed." 

"No!" Doggett said forcefully. "There was no way you could have predicted this, Scully. You are not to blame for this. Don't go pulling a Mulder on us now." 

This startled a chuff of laughter out of me that I couldn't suppress. Mulder scowled and Scully retreated. Mulder sat with Scully and the baby in the first back seat, Doggett was up front with me. I was driving and Monica sat with Emily in the far back seat. 

Mulder leaned over Scully's lap as I glanced in the rear view and I heard him say, "Can I hold him? Can I hold my son?" 

I didn't have to look again to know that he was taking him in his arms. I heard him gasp as he stared down at him. "Oh God, Scully. He's so beautiful." 

Scully leaned her head on his shoulder. Emily stood and walked up them and peered down at Will. Mulder scooted over and Emily sat next to him. Doggett whispered to me. "Walter, something weird with that kid. It's like she's staring at the baby but her eyes are closed." 

"What's she doing?" 

"I don't know, but the baby's smiling." 

I smiled. 

* * *

"Hey, bro!" 

"Found mommy!" 

"Yes, Will, we found mommy!" 

"Found daddy!" 

"Yes, Will, we found daddy too." 

"Tell them, missed mommy, missed daddy." 

"I will. Can you talk to mommy." 

"I tried." 

"She couldn't hear you?" 

"Guess not." 

"Try daddy, not now but later in quiet time." 

"Okay. You staying?" 

"I don't know, Will." 

"Want you stay too." 

"Don't frown. It will be O.K. Just stick with mommy and daddy." 

"Found mommy!" 

"Yes, Will, everything's O.K. now." 

She opened her eyes and looked at her parents. Even though she hadn't been born to them, she'd known from the computer files and pictures who they were. She'd seen their faces in her dreams. She had wondered what it would be like to be raised by a real mother and father. 

"What did he say?" my father asked. He was obviously not as difficult to convince of things as my mother. She would take some work. 

I smiled at him. "He missed you both. When we were at the VanDeKamps he kept asking me to find mommy. Just kept saying, lady nice, but miss mommy." 

I looked at this woman who was my mother and saw her eyes fill with tears. She obviously loved William very much. I could feel it rolling off both of them. I only hoped that one day, they would love me that much. I smiled at her. "Now he says, 'Found mommy and found daddy!' He was very excited and he's happy now." 

I paused deciding to keep the rest to myself. Apparently nothing got by my father because he said, "There's something else too, isn't there?" 

I nodded and looked up at him feeling the unfamiliar feeling of a lump in my throat. "He asked ... um, he asked if I was going to stay with him too." 

"What did you tell him?" he asked. 

"I ... I told him I didn't know." 

I looked at my lap feeling tears sting the backs of my eyelids. I could count on one hand the number of times I had cried in my lifetime. Why was I so emotional now? 

I was surprised when he handed William back to my mother. She sat up with him, taking her head off his shoulder. Then he reached for me and pulled me onto his lap, sitting me sideways so my legs dangled down between his. He smiled at me and pulled me sideways into his chest with one arm. The other he put around my mother. I felt a tear escape my lashes and scud down my cheek. 

He leaned his lips to my ear and said, "Of course you're staying with us." 

I laid my head on his shoulder, suddenly more tired than I had ever been and let the tears come. In minutes I was asleep. The next thing I knew, we were being carried back into the plane. 

I asked where we were going and the lady in the back answered, saying, "Going to see some friends of mine in Mexico." 

I nodded saying, "We're on the run, aren't we?" 

"Hopefully not forever," my father said. 

I nodded. "It's O.K. I expected it. I'm just glad I'm with you guys. I figured I wouldn't make it anyways but I had to try and save Will." 

I heard his breath hitch and my mother whispered, "My God, we're going to have to hear this whole story." 

"Hmmm," I hummed. "Later. Can I sleep now?" 

My father's chest felt so warm as he hugged me close. His warmth seeped into me and spread through my body, tingling as it infused through my skin. I shivered slightly, never having felt his kind of contentment. It was foreign to me. I realized I felt safe for the first time ever in my entire life, like I might be able to let my guard down for a few minutes. 

* * *

* * *

**PART 6 (NC-17)**  
**MARITA COVERUBIAS' APARTMENT**  
**SOUTHERN MARYLAND**  
**THE NEXT DAY**

I looked in the mirror, combing my hair, fresh from the shower. I stood naked, examining my body with a critical eye. I was 41, but I still had a nice body. My breasts were a little heavier and sagged a little more than they used to, and my hips were a little wider. Overall though, I still had a flat tummy and a firm tush and very few wrinkles on my face, only a few laugh lines around my eyes. I cupped my breasts and sighed heavily. I still worked out regularly. I was tall for a woman, five foot nine inches tall. 

I hadn't seen him in months. And when he showed up on my doorstep with Agent Doggett, I'd been shocked. I knew they were only here because they wanted something from me. That stung a bit, but at the same time, damn the man all to hell, the sight of him had nearly buckled my knees. He'd been wearing his usual G-man attire, Hugo Boss suit with a white cotton dress shirt. He'd always looked good in a suit. 

I hadn't been able to get him out of my mind since and it had pissed me off. The man had never trusted me, never given me the benefit of the doubt and yet, he had ruined me for other men. His nobility struck a chord in me that tugged at my heartstrings. He wasn't nave by any stretch of the imagination. I didn't know how he'd found me but I suppose he had his sources as well. I knew I wasn't the only informant to the X-Files. I'd tread a very fine line at times in the past, risking everything to pass information to Agents Mulder and Scully. 

If I was honest, I could understand his reluctance. It was hard to know whose side I'd been on at times. Sometimes I hadn't been sure myself. But I never would have betrayed him. My career had been the most important thing in my life for so many years. I was proud of my position, one of the first woman, and youngest woman to ever hold the job of Special Assistant to the Secretary General. 

I'd begun to suspect that all was not well in Mudville a long time before I was sure that there were government conspiracies designed to cover up incredible information, destroy certain people, and put others in a position of power. 

I hadn't wanted to be a part of it, but I'd had no choice in the beginning. To protest when I had no real information to go on would have been a deadly mistake. So I waited, watched and listened, and never made a stink. Finally, they had come to me, the Consortium, testing my position, feeling me out for what I could or would do for them. 

They told a horrific story and convinced me that if I were to help them, my actions would be noble and for the good of mankind everywhere. I had been the one that was nave in the beginning. I did what I was asked to do and gained their trust. I quickly realized however, that they had no intention of saving mankind. They only intended to save themselves. 

That was a realization I couldn't live with. I knew they worried about Agents Mulder and Scully. No one had ever gotten as close to them and their true plans as those two. Both of them were smart, savvy and talented. Their methods were different from each other, but combined, there was little they couldn't figure out. They proved this over and over again. I'm ashamed to say, I was one of those running ahead of them at the behest of my employers and snatching evidence away before they could find it. They wanted to throw a spot light on the conspiracy. While I didn't agree with the Consortium's actions, I feared that exposing them to the general public would cause mass panic. In addition, the chaos it would create in government might cause an upheaval that the American government could never recover from. Sometimes, I had to do things that were abhorrent to me simply because I could find no way not to without exposing my duplicity. 

Then I began to hate what I was being asked to do. I knew they had no noble intentions, but by then I was in too deep and risked my own life should I try to oppose them. I knew I wouldn't last two minutes if I did it openly. So I did it in secret. I left anonymous packages for Agent Mulder leading him in the right direction. I got him false identity paperwork when he needed it. Occasionally, if I could do it without putting my neck in jeopardy, I would give him real information he could use. I felt good about that, but also scared. 

Somewhere in the back of my head, I'd known it was only a matter of time before they found out that I was not on their side anymore and didn't believe in what they were doing. It had not been a good day! 

The scientists were deep into their experiments to find a vaccine for the black oil virus. They were in a race with the Russians. When my duplicity was found out, I was grabbed and experimented on. It was worse than being killed. There were days when a bullet between the eyes would have been preferable. And I'd played both sides of the fence for so long, that no one cared about me anymore, especially Walter. 

I felt a lurch in my chest at the thought. He had looked so betrayed when he'd come here and smelled smoke. He had been right. C.G.B. had been here, damn him. He ruined everything. I was playing on the right side of the fence by then, but I had no way to prove it. The hurt and pain that had been on his face was probably the worst I'd ever witnessed. He thought I was just coldly using him to get information. Little did he know that he was the only man in my life who had ever gotten inside my shell. He was the only man I ever had a hard time walking away from. He was the only man that I had ever really given my heart to and I'd felt as if someone had put a knife through my heart. 

I'd never told him how I felt about him. How could I blame him for his suspicions? They would have been valid only a short time before he accused me of them. But I had stayed on the payroll, figuring that I could find out the most by pretending to still work for their side. I was more valuable to Mulder and Scully that way, and I had to find reasons to remain valuable to these men or they would simply kill me. I was in too deep at that point to just turn and walk away. It hadn't been possible. 

When they did the tests on me, they very nearly did kill me. Jeffrey Spender had needed an ally and he had realized by then that there was something to his mother's claims. At the very least, he knew that he didn't have a friend in the world at that time ... and neither did I. 

Jeffrey had always been arrogant and weak. I'd been surprised when he revealed that he had blackmailed Krycek for the virus antidote. I don't know whom Krycek told them he needed it for and I didn't care. That antidote had saved my life. Jeffrey had surprised me again. He not only helped me after my escape to get to a safe apartment but he nursed me back to health. It had been a long road. 

Unlike most of the other men in my life that had helped me, he hadn't wanted to have sex with me in return. That had been refreshing. Krycek had exacted that very payment for services rendered on more than one occasion. Krycek was as duplicitous as I was. We were two of a kind. I think his story ran pretty parallel to mine. He'd started out loyal and then became a double agent of sorts, doing what he could, when he could. Those actions had earned neither of us many friends. 

I never made the mistake of trusting Krycek, but there had been times when he was the only one I could turn to. He would always help me, but it came with a price. Sometimes I'd been willing and desperate enough to pay that price. Sometimes I hadn't been. There had never been any caring or love there, only lust and understanding. I felt ashamed of those decisions now, even knowing intellectually that if I hadn't made them on a couple of occasions, I would be dead now. There were also times when I hadn't cared to live. Now, however, I wanted to live. I wanted to have a future. 

I put on a bathrobe and made my way out to the kitchen where I'd left coffee brewing. I poured myself a cup and stood leaning with my back against the counter. 

The only thing that kept me alive was my knowledge of the not-so-human counterparts in the government ... and my absolute silence of who they were. Just seeing Walter and John Doggett here could be reason enough for them to suspect I'd developed a loose tongue. That was all it would take. I didn't think they'd been seen, but I didn't know for sure. It was time to move again. 

I sighed and closed my eyes as I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup. I was so tired. I didn't want to run anymore. If I wanted to continue breathing, however, I didn't have a choice. My instincts rarely failed me and I knew that I had maybe a week at most before they came looking for me to find out what I'd told Walter and Doggett. I knew this place was watched. 

The original Consortium members were all gone except for C.G.B. and he was powerless now. Other players who weren't as well organized, but were just as deadly had replaced them. Kersch was among them. He was human but controlled down to the short hairs by other factions in the government. I wondered if they had been discreet in coming up there. Everyone was watching their own back now and that made for a volatile situation. 

I wondered if maybe I should tell Walter who they were if only to prevent him going to one of them for help or information. He would be mislead at the least and killed at the worst. Despite his treating me acerbically, I didn't want him hurt. He had every right to be hurt, but I couldn't help throwing up my righteous defenses when he was around. 

I jumped and spilled hot coffee on my hand as a sharp rap sounded on the door three times. "Shit!" I exclaimed, setting my mug down heavily on the Formica counter. 

As was my habit now, I grabbed my .22 automatic pistol out of the cupboard and cautiously approached the door. I looked through the peep hole. No finger obscured my vision this time. There he stood, as if I'd conjured him up out of my thoughts. His hands were in his the pockets of his long black trench coat, hugging it around him, shoulders slightly hunched. 

I sucked in my breath. Damn, I didn't want to see him right now. My emotions were too turbulent. Plus, I had to make plans to leave here. I'd sent word to Agent Doggett of the meeting place and time with Jeffrey. What the hell was he doing here? Was he just going to keep asking for my help until he got me killed? 

"What do you want?" I asked through the door. 

He looked up at the peephole, his eyes dark and intense. "Please let me in, Marita," he said, his voice husky. 

If he had yelled or been arrogant, I could have maintained my grip on sanity, but I'd never been able to tell him no when he asked nicely. He looked worn out and scared. 

I sighed and undid the dead bolt, along with the chain and swung the door open. He nodded his thanks and stepped through the door. His head was hung as though in thought and he lifted his head to look me in the face as I closed the door. I redid the dead bolt and chain. He watched silently as I returned to the cupboard and stashed my pistol. 

I turned and looked at him, not saying anything. When he didn't either, I finally asked again, "What are you doing here, Walter? They see you, I'll be killed." 

He swallowed heavily. "I was careful. I came in the back, circled to make sure I wasn't followed." 

I nodded, "Take your coat?" 

He nodded again and slid it off his huge shoulders. I caught my breath and held it as he handed me his coat. He was wearing a snug tan turtleneck that showed every ripple of muscle in his heavily sculpted chest. His shoulders looked so broad. My eyes flicked down his chest, watching his chest melt into his lean waist and the faded jeans that hung low on his hips. 

The jeans were snug on his big thighs and he was wearing black boots. My eyes traveled back up and finally reached his face. I gasped when I saw his face. His eyes were black, his expression pained. "Fuck, Marita," he whispered. 

I turned and hung his coat in the closet next to the door. "What?" I asked as I returned and headed for the coffee pot. "Want some coffee? I spilled mine when you knocked. It startled me. I was going to have some more. I forget, you take it black don't you?" 

I was chattering as I faced the coffee pot, dumping my cold coffee and refilling my cup. I never even heard him move. Suddenly his arms came down beside me and his hands covered mine pressing them flat onto the counter. 

"Walter!" I yelped. 

He slowly and deliberately touched his knees to the back of mine. I held my breath. He molded his thighs to mine and then I felt his chest press against my back. I made an odd whimpering sound like, "Ohhmmm." 

His chin lowered to my shoulder and he tipped his face toward mine, nuzzling my neck. "Walter, what are you ...?" 

He cut me off. "Do you have any idea what it does to me when you check me out like that?" 

I shook my head in the negative. "I didn't think you gave a damn anymore." 

"That's just the problem, Marita. I care too much. I've always cared too much, more than I want to, believe me. And I was doing fine for a while, but then..." 

"Then?" 

"I saw you again." 

I shivered and let my weight fall back against him. He moaned when my butt pressed into his erection. I jerked slightly in surprise. I hadn't known he was that aroused already. I felt an obscene amount of wetness flood my crotch as my body responded to his arousal. It had always been this way between us, like a brush fire out of control. 

He began pressing his cock into my ass. His grinding assault from behind robbed me of the power of speech and I could only whimper. This was wrong. I didn't want this, not this way. I squirmed against him in an attempt to push him away. He was like pushing against a wall and didn't budge. I found my voice, "Walter, please ... not like this." 

"Yes, just like this." He moved my coffee cup to the side, grasped my wrists and captured them in one of his big hands. He wasn't crushing them, but he was holding them tightly. He slid them forward, stretching my body and lowering my torso to the counter. My breasts spilled out of my robe and pressed into the cold counter. I gasped and felt my nipples harden unbearably and begin to ache. 

"Jesus, Walter, ... please!" 

He growled in my ear. "I want you, Marita. I've always wanted you. And damn it woman, I'm going to have you again." 

"But ..." 

"Tell me you don't want me," he growled. 

I couldn't do it. "Let's go in the bedroom," I pleaded. 

"No," he said curtly and I heard his zipper forced down and his pants and boxers shoved down his legs. His hand caught the back of my robe and rucked it up around my waist. 

Then his fingers probed the wetness between my legs. He gasped, "Jesus," when he felt how wet I was. I felt my face flush with embarrassment. If I resisted he would be forcing me, but I wasn't resisting. I didn't have it in me to resist anymore. I wanted him, even it was about the most unromantic place, up against my kitchen counter. 

I felt the swollen head of his cock push against my sopping wet folds. He jerked his hips and slid in a couple inches and stopped. He groaned, "Oh fuck, I'd forgotten how good you feel." 

"Walter ... not here," I gasped out, in a last ditch attempt to change his mind. I wanted to look at his face. I wanted to read his expression. Was he angry? Was he just horny? Or was there more going on here? 

He grunted, not answering, then rammed the full length of enormous cock inside my long unused twat. I moaned as I felt my walls stretch and his glans press firmly on the door to my cervix, stretching it to the limit. "Oh shit, ..." I whimpered, cursing the waves of arousal that were washing through me. I was filled to capacity and I couldn't remember anything ever feeling this good. 

He began to thrust, steadily and urgently, withdrawing smoothly and slamming back into me with force. He would pull nearly all the way out and I could feel every inch of his huge cock sliding in and out again, tip to hilt, tip to hilt, tip to hilt. He grunted, "Aww, aww, aww," with every hard thrust of his hips. 

In an embarrassingly short time, I was taken by my first orgasm, shouting his name, "Wwaalltteerr ... oh God!" He released my hands and I gripped the back of the counter. His hands slid down and gripped my waist. He held still, filling me fully as my crotch convulsed around his hardness. He moaned at the squeezing sensation of my muscles as I shuddered with aftershocks. 

* * *

I plunged my aching cock into her depths, watching her shapely, little ass tense and release as I did. I was so hard I ached. My cock was reveling in the grip of her tight muscles. 

She was taut and controlled, her body stretched and arched like a bow, her lovely ass sticking up in the air. My voice was low and feral as I croaked out, "I want to fuck you senseless." 

I was being seized with the basest of instincts, the ones that told me to dominate, to take what my heart desired. I wanted to believe my heart didn't enter into it, but I would be lying to myself. I'd been blown away when I felt the foamy wetness of her cunt lips. I hadn't expected her to be that aroused. Knowing I affected her as much as she affected me, had made me lose my grip on what little sense I had left. 

I was crazed with lust and longing for her. I began to thrust again as her orgasm died down and she quivered beneath me. I hung onto her slim hips and buried myself over and over, groaning like a dying man. I began to pant. The situation didn't look that way, but I felt completely vulnerable, totally unable to help myself. Her beauty, but mostly the chemistry between us, robbed me of any sense. Once I touched her, there was no turning around and walking away. Not for me. I knew if I looked at her face, I would fall for her again and that was a dangerous thing to do. But I needed her. I needed this ... connection. She wasn't protesting and I had no intention of stopping. 

I began panting as I felt my balls tighten and fill with jism. "Feel so good, pushing you open again. God Marita, you still make me crazy." 

She gripped her thighs tightly together, putting more pressure on my aching shaft as I plunged into her without mercy. She was groaning and her internal muscles rippled over my bone hard cock for a second time as I felt my orgasm crash over me like a tidal wave. 

I shouted out, "Oh God, Marita! Yes, take it all!" 

Stars and lights were exploding in my head and my nuts pumped jet after jet of hot seed through my rigid cock. She spasmed convulsively underneath me as her climax rendered her helpless in the grip of the passion that always sprung up when we touched each other. My cock was spurting with tremendous force and I couldn't remember the last time I'd had an orgasm so intense. 

I collapsed onto her back, taking my weight on my elbows and sliding my hands under her breasts, palming them and squeezing gently, toying with her nipple. She whimpered and hissed through her teeth. They were sensitive from her orgasm. I wondered briefly if she was on birth control. She always had been before. I hadn't even asked. I felt a stab of shame at my carelessness. 

I squeezed her breasts gently an she moaned. Suddenly, I had to see them. I had to see her, even though I knew it was mistake I would regret later. I pulled out of her and watched as our combined juices ran out of her stretched hole and slid down the inside of her thighs. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and stood her up, spinning her around. Without looking at her face I lowered my mouth to her breasts and suckled her nipple into my mouth, laving it with my tongue and nipping lightly. 

"Oh shit, Walter, that's enough ..." 

I didn't listen. I toed off my boots and socks and stepped out of my jeans and boxers. Her hands went to my shirt in surrender and she lifted the hem. I let go of her breast quickly as she yanked the shirt over my head. I took off my glasses and tossed them on the counter. 

She didn't protest when I pulled her robe off her shoulders and it puddled to the floor in a heap with the rest of my clothes. I bent and lifted her thighs into the air. She squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck to keep from falling. I couldn't speak. I didn't trust myself to say anything. Her legs wrapped around my thighs in silent permission and I carried her into her bedroom, depositing her gently on the bed. 

My lust temporarily sated, I looked at her and was struck again by the force of her beauty. At this moment she looked almost shy and vulnerable and it took my breath away. "Walt ..." 

I pressed my fingers to her lips, hoping to prevent her from talking. I didn't want to talk. Talking might end this and I wasn't ready to do that yet. I lowered my face and caught her lips under mine. 

Big mistake. 

She responded immediately and our tongues dueled for supremacy of the kiss. She suckled first my top lip and then my bottom lip and I felt myself melt toward her, an ache starting up in the center of my chest in response to her tenderness. How long had it been since anyone had been tender with me? 

I knew I was playing a dangerous game with a dangerous woman. Still, I couldn't stop myself. The bottom line was I'd never wanted a woman the way I wanted her. And she was naked and willing in her bed and I wasn't going to walk away. I would deal with the consequences later. Could I trust her? I didn't know. She seemed so tired and beaten down by the events of her life. And I knew that harrowing experiences could change a person. 

She'd almost died. While her new chance at life had left her beaten and scared, she seemed also to possess a new determination ... to survive at least, if not do all the right things. 

I kissed her again, this time with passion and proceeded to rain kisses on her body, staring at her neck and working my way down. I treated each nipple to thorough worship before running my hands down to her hips and lowering myself between her legs. 

I raised her supple legs up over my shoulders and made the mistake of looking up at her. She wore an expression of awe and excitement and she smiled shyly at me. I felt something burst wide open in my chest and I whimpered. My voice was pure gravel when I said, "You're going to be the death of me, Marita." 

She smiled wider, looking a little sly now, but then her smiled faded. "I just want you to love me," she whispered. 

I caught my breath and held it. "Love you?" I hesitated. "Physically? Or ...?" 

She nodded, not really answering my questions. 

Did she mean yes to both questions? "I don't know if I can," I said honestly. 

"Yes you can. You already are." 

I nodded, not sure I understood, but lowering my head and breaking eye contact. Then I realized what she meant. I was taking care of her pleasure first by this act. It was something a loving person did. I wanted to do it though. It wasn't entirely unselfish. I loved to see a woman respond to me and this was the best way I knew how. I spread her lips with my thumbs and pressed my face into her for an open mouthed lick from her back door to her clitoris. 

"Oh!" she exclaimed. 

Encouraged I continued to feast on her, tasting her tangy juices on each lip and in each fold. "Yes! Aaawww yeah. Eat me till I come!' 

I tasted myself mixed in there and was strangely not repulsed by it. I fucked her with my tongue and her hands came down to hold the sides of my head. I slid two fingers inside and crooked them upwards, circling her front wall until I found the magic spot. 

I felt her body go limp and knew I'd found it. I chose that moment to suck her clit into my mouth and lick it from top to bottom. She screamed an unintelligible sound, "Hhhhhhuuuuuaaaaaaahhhhh!" and I felt her muscles quiver around my fingers and her clitoris vibrate on my tongue. I lapped her gently as she climaxed and held my head tightly in place. 

She settled back into the bed, boneless and content as I crawled up over her and kissed her gently, feeling tenderness I didn't want to feel but knowing I couldn't stop it now. I'd let my guard down and she was going to creep behind my walls again and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. 

I was hard again, the sight and feel of her climaxing on my tongue and fingers sending me into overdrive again. But the urgency was gone. I didn't feel frantic and lustful anymore. But I wanted to have her again. 

I nudged her legs apart and met her eyes. We stared at each other for several moments and then her eyes grew moist. I whispered, "No tears, Marita." 

She nodded, sniffling and whispered back, "You'll never know how much I've missed you." 

I felt my own eyes sting and lowered my head to take her mouth in another slow, deep kiss. As I did, she raised her legs over my hips and I sunk down between her baby soft thighs. Her hand snaked between us and guided me to her. I slid in slowly this time, trying to be gentle and make up for taking her so hard in the kitchen. "I can't make any promises," I whispered. 

"Neither can I. But I ..." 

"What?" 

She shook her head as though changing her mind. 

"Tell me," I encouraged softly. 

I'd been out of my mind. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since I'd seen her the other day and that talk with John hadn't helped. John said she still had the hots for me and that I didn't doubt. He also said that she wanted me to trust her and believe in her. That I wasn't so sure about. It scared me though, how much I wanted it to be true. I wanted to trust her. I wanted her to be trustworthy. I just didn't know if I could lay the past aside enough to really trust her. I wanted her though; I wasn't going to deny that. 

She whispered as I began to stroke her slowly and deeply. "God help me. I'm still in love with you." 

I couldn't respond. I hadn't known that she'd ever been in love with me. Was I in love with her? I shook my head. I couldn't ponder it right now, not while I was this vulnerable. She trembled at our joining and I delighted that I could make her respond like this after all this time. We moaned and stared at each other as I stroked her slowly, enjoying the wonderful sensations and wanting to make it last. I'd already come once. If history was any judge, the second time, I lasted a lot longer. 

History was correct and as good as it felt, I was able to hold off for quite a while. She shuddered in climax twice more before I finally emptied my balls deep inside her. My orgasm was slow and harsh and satisfying. I rolled off her and pulled her into my side. She snuggled against me laying her head on my chest. 

We were silent a long time and then I felt wetness on my chest. I peered down and saw that she was crying silently. "Marita?" I asked, slightly alarmed. I pulled her head up. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" 

"No, not the way you think." 

I sighed knowing there was no avoiding this conversation. I didn't want to have it right now but I knew we needed to talk. Reality was that there would never be a good time and never be a time when I wanted to have it. Might as well get it over with, I thought. 

* * *

"Why did you come here?" she asked softly. 

"I wanted to see you." 

"That's not enough, Walter and we both know it." 

I nodded. "The truth is ... I'm not entirely sure. I wanted to see you and I couldn't stop thinking about you after seeing you again." 

She levered up onto her elbow and rested her head in her hand with her elbow on the bed. I stayed lying on my back and watched her carefully. Her features were slightly blurry from this far away and I realized I'd left my glasses in the kitchen. "Can I get my glasses before we do this?" I asked. 

She smiled. "Go ahead." 

I slid off the bed and walked naked into the hallway toward the kitchen, feeling her eyes burn a hole in my back side. My sex was heavy and sated, laying thickly against my thigh and I realized I was a bit sticky. I washed my hands and grabbed my glasses. When I returned to the bedroom, she was standing beside the bed and handed me a warm, wet washcloth. I smiled and cleaned myself up while she watched intently. I folded it over and handed it back to her. "Thanks." 

She nodded and went into the bathroom and threw it in the hamper. She returned and we both crawled up onto the bed, arranging pillows behind us to recline against the headboard. "Should I get dressed?" 

"No, let's not." 

"Cruel woman," I teased. 

"I want you as vulnerable as you can be with no armor." 

"Like I said, you're a cruel woman." 

She smiled at my light tone, knowing I was teasing. She stared at me and said, "When you said you couldn't stop thinking about me, what did you mean?" 

"Just that. I'd close my eyes and see your face. I'd lay down to go to sleep and ... I would remember." 

"Remember?" 

"The sound of you laughing. I always loved your laugh." 

She looked surprised then as I watched her out of the corner of my eye. "What else?" 

"Do you need the details?" 

"I want the details." 

"I'm not sure I'm ready to give them to you." 

She was silent a moment and then said, "Please, Walter. We need to clear the air." 

I swallowed and nodded. "I ... well, I kept remembering what it felt like to hold you, feel your silky skin against my body." I swallowed around the lump in my throat. 

She was silent, waiting patiently. "I remembered how close I felt to you at one time, and how amazed I was at the ... passion between us." 

"Yeah, huh?" she said softly. 

I looked at her fully then and she was staring at my face. "I missed you, Marita. It's really not that complicated." 

"But?" she asked. 

"But ... I didn't have any idea where we stood. I know you hated me for ... what I did, what I accused you of ... but ... I didn't know if we could get past that." 

"Past that?" 

"If you would ever be able to forgive me," I stated quietly. 

She licked her lips and closed her eyes as if thinking of a response. Finally she said, "Or if you could trust me?" 

She opened her eyes then and I held her gaze. I nodded slightly but then said, "I ... WANT to trust you, Marita." 

"But you don't know if you can." It was a statement. 

I nodded, confirming her statement. "I want to try, Marita. I'm tired of ... a lot of things." 

"Like being alone?" she asked. 

"That's one of them." 

"The rest?" 

"I'm tired of being paranoid. I'm tired of never being able to be completely honest with anyone. I'm tired of being on guard. I don't see an end to that anytime in the near future. It would be nice to have someone ... one person, I could ... not have to hide from," I finished. 

I blew air through pursed lips, relieved at getting that much out. This type of conversation had always been hard for me. I was a man that guarded his emotions and held his cards close to the vest. I'd never talked like this with my ex-wife. It was part of the reason we split, because I walled away a part of myself. I was only now realizing at 48 that life was disgustingly short and I had never really loved anyone completely, never trusted anyone completely. Subsequently, I'd never really known any joy. Marita was not the best choice to choose to trust and love completely. She had a checkered past and a labyrinth of secrets. However, no one else had ever held my interest like she did or made me feel like I couldn't stay away. 

I cared for her, maybe even loved her a little, but I was terrified to really let go. 'Why her?' I kept asking myself. Of all the women in the world, 'why her?' I saw what Mulder and Scully had together. Despite their trials and tribulations, they always had trust, respect and love for one another and it had gotten them through a lot of tough situations. It held them up when they were ready to quit fighting and made them want to keep trying. I needed that in my life. I wanted that for myself. 

She was watching me carefully. "And you want that person to be me?" she asked. I could hear the hope and longing in her voice and was startled by it. Finally, I nodded at her, feeling strange and embarrassed all of a sudden. 

She launched herself on top of me, straddling my thighs and wrapped her arms around my neck. I caught her around the waist as she buried her nose in my neck. I felt her breath hitch in her chest and I said, "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" 

She sniffled and then said, "I'm sorry, Walter." 

"Sorry?" 

"For everything. I did what I thought was right at the time. I played both side of the fence at first, but then I realized what was happening. But they would have killed me if I pulled out and I felt like I did more good where I was at the time, being able to gather information. I passed it along when I could." 

"When I left you?" I asked, afraid of the answer. 

"I already had decided that they were the enemy. But I was in their camp and I couldn't safely leave. I did what I could and still save my neck." 

"Oh God," I muttered. "I'm sorry, Marita." 

"No! You had every reason to be suspicious and I couldn't tell you the truth then without compromising my position. I couldn't let anyone know what I was doing. It was too risky. So I helped Mulder when I could and I sent him information through other people when I could. But I was too close to you, Walter. I couldn't use you. And I didn't want you involved that way anyway." 

"Oh Christ, Marita. I wish you'd told me." 

"A year before that, everything you said would have been true. That's what was so hard. You hit so close to the truth. I didn't feel like I could defend myself. I was just realizing what a tenuous position I was in. I was still working it out. I didn't even know what I was doing. I didn't want you to be caught in the back lash." 

"So you didn't defend yourself or explain any of this to me," I concluded. 

She nodded, "I let you go. I let you walk away. I had to until I knew what I was doing for sure and that you wouldn't be hurt. By then ... by the time I figured it out, I'd lost you completely." 

"Shit, Marita. I'm sorry, baby. We've wasted a lot of time. I wished you'd come and told me." 

"Would you have listened? Would you have believed me?" 

I sighed, knowing that I probably wouldn't have. "I don't know." 

"That's what I thought," she said. 

"Marita, what's your position now?" I asked carefully. 

She raised her head and looked me in the eye. "I'm on the side of right." 

"And which side is that?" I asked. 

She recoiled as if I'd slapped her and then struggled to compose herself. 

"I have to ask, Marita," I said softly. 

Finally she said, "I'm not on the consortium payroll anymore, per se. But the ones that took their place pay me for my silence. I know who is in the government that isn't human and they could kill me, but probably not before I exposed at least one of them. I have information in safety deposit boxes all over three states with instructions to people with the keys to open them and go to the press if anything ever happens to me. 

"Shit," I muttered. 

"It was my only protection. It keeps me alive and dangerous to them." 

"Makes you a fucking target." 

"Yes, but they'd never find all the safety deposit boxes." 

"How many do you have?" 

"Fifteen." 

"Fifteen!" I exclaimed. 

She nodded. "The keys for each are in the hands of a different person. It would take them a long time to find them all and they would never be sure if they had them all. I know these people would contact me if they were tossed." 

"What if they kill them?" 

"Then I would know that too. I read the obituaries in nine different papers every day." 

"My God, Marita. How did you paint yourself into a corner like this?" 

"It wasn't easy," she joked. 

I frowned. "I don't like it." 

"You don't have to. It's the way it is. It's my insurance policy." 

"So what are you going to do now?" 

"I'm going to move." 

"Move? Why?" 

"You came here with Doggett. I know they watch the place. I don't need them thinking I got loose lips and decide to risk getting rid of me." 

"We were careful when we came here." 

"I know, but I have no way of knowing if you were seen." 

"Would they have waited this long to come for you?" 

"They are very patient when they have to be. They may have been waiting to see if you returned a second time. If not, they might assume I sent you away for good." 

"But now I showed up again." 

I nodded. "I just want to play it safe." 

"I could have put you in danger by coming here?" I asked. 

She shrugged. "There was no way for you to know." 

"I'll never forgive myself if something happens to you." 

"Don't go there, Walter. It would be my fault. I let you in. I put myself in this position in the first place. I'm right where I am because of the choices I've made in my life. I stopped blaming other people, places, and things a long time ago. I'm not going to start that now." 

"Still ..." 

"Still nothing. I'm moving, that's all. I do it every six months or so anyway, sometimes more often." 

"The apartment does look ... sparsely furnished." 

"I try to rent furnished and I travel light. Everything I own that is important to me, I can fit into two suitcases." 

"That's no way to live, Marita." 

"It's the only way I know how right now." 

"I want to help you." 

"Don't!" she cried. "Don't get involved, Walter." 

I gave her a look of resignation, knowing I'd been a fool. I wouldn't be able to walk away from her a second time. "Marita, I'm already involved." 

* * *

* * *

**PART 7 (NC-17)**  
**MEXICO CITY, MEXICO**  
**CASE DE MADRID**  
**THE NEXT DAY**

I answered my phone when it rang. Without preamble, he said, "You were right, John." 

"About what?" I'd asked. 

"I talked to her ... well, I approached her first, then talked to her." 

"Approached her?" 

"You know." 

"Uh ... I can take a guess." 

He'd laughed then. "It went well, I just wanted to thank you for the little push." 

I'd smiled on my end of the phone. "No problem. Didn't know I pushed." 

"You didn't, but I was listening to what you said, and turns out ... you were right. I think ... there's still something there." 

"I'm glad." 

"Me too. I'll call you guys later after we meet with Jeffrey." 

"You bet, talk to you then." 

We'd hung up and Monica and I had gone to dinner. Now I stood and walked out onto the balcony. She was standing with her back to me, her arms braced on the railing, beer dangling precariously from her fingers. 

I stood behind her and set my beer down on the little cast iron table. When she didn't turn around I reach out tentatively and put my hands on her shoulders. She stiffened but then relaxed. I began to knead the tense muscles there and she groaned in delight. The sound went straight to my crotch and I felt myself begin harden. Jesus, this woman was going to get me in trouble. I wondered if she had any idea what kind of affect she had on me. 

She straightened up a bit, setting her beer on the railing and flexed her shoulders back. I continued to massage, moving a little lower and rubbing the insides of her shoulder blades. I stepped closer and inhaled the scent of her citrus shampoo. She smelled like raspberry moisturizer, which I knew she used. It was a light, clean scent that made my head spin. God, I wanted to bury my nose in her neck, but I didn't think that would be prudent at the moment. 

She sighed and then whispered, "Feels so good, John. Thank you." 

"You're welcome, any time," I replied softly, alarmed at how husky my voice was. 

She must have heard the difference because she tensed slightly, but then relaxed again. I took this as permission to continue. My hands slid a little lower and splayed over the muscles between her shoulder blades and her waist. I rubbed gently and she grunted softly. "You've got good hands, John," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. 

"Works better if you're lying down." 

She slowly turned to face me. "Are you offering to give me a back rub?" she asked, now clearly amused. 

I was totally serious when I answered her, "Yes." 

She stared at me a moment, not sure what to make of my offer. Finally she said, "You're on." 

She flashed me that smile that always melts my insides, the one with teeth and dimples and made her way slowly back into the room. She walked to the double bed but then stopped and turned. "I have some lotion in the bathroom." 

"That great smelling raspberry stuff you use?" 

She smiled wider then. "Why John, I'm impressed! I wouldn't think you'd notice something like that." 

I smiled gently at her and said, "I notice everything about you, Monica." 

Her smiled faded and she swallowed hard, now suddenly uncomfortable. I didn't know why I couldn't keep my mouth shut. God, just the thought of placing my hands on her bare skin had me hyper aware of her every move. She cleared her throat and said, "I'll get it." 

She scooted around me and into the bathroom. I took a deep breath and cracked my knuckles. "Keep it together, John," I mumbled softly to myself. 

I startled when she touched my shoulder. Shit! I wondered if she had heard me. Judging by the quirky smile on her face, she did, however, she was nice enough to let it slide. She turned her back to me and slowly lifted her crew neck shell over her head, revealing a plain white bra. 

I sucked in my breath at the site of all that skin. She turned her head to grin at me over her shoulder and then crawled onto the bed. I put a knee on the bed, waiting for her to lie down when she reached for the button on her jeans. I stared helplessly as she unbuttoned them and slid the zipper down. My eyes darted to her face and back to her hands. She didn't seem to think this action was unusual in front of me. 

She loosened her jeans and tugged them down low on her hips and then sank to the bed on her stomach, but not before I caught a glimpse of the French cut baby blue panties she was wearing. I swallowed thickly and looked away. She turned her head towards me, resting it on her arms folded under her as a pillow. 

I gently lowered myself to the bed and squirted some lotion into my hands from the pump nozzle on the bottle she'd set on the nightstand. 

I knelt next to her and placed my hands on her low back, letting the lotion warm. She sighed. I began to rub gently back and forth, the smell of raspberries assaulting my nose. My nostrils flared wide as I inhaled the scent I had associated with her for so long. She relaxed quickly and I felt some of my own tension flow away. I was still semi hard and touching her baby soft skin wasn't helping. I straddled her legs and began to go to town, kneading gently but firmly at the muscles, working my way up, down and back up again. 

She was moaning softly almost constantly by the time I was making my second pass over her back. I stopped and let my hands rest, spread wide on her shoulder blades, fingers inching under her bra strap. 

She lay still as I slowly grasped her bra strap near the clasp. She gasped and I asked, "May I?" 

I sounded like I'd gargled with razor blades. 

She nodded tentatively and then said, "Yes." 

I was dismayed to find my hands trembling slightly as I unhooked the tiny fasteners, one, two, three and her bra fell open. I brushed it aside and rubbed the area a bit more after taking some more lotion. 

She raised up on her elbows for a second and quickly pulled the bra off her arms and flung it over the side of the bed. I watched it sail through the air and disappear down to the floor. "Jesus," I whispered. 

She didn't say a word, just lowered herself back down. I took up where I left off. My massaging soon turned to caressing. I'm not sure when or how. I trailed my finger tips up her sides, exerting just enough pressure not to tickle her. I stopped suddenly when I realized my hands were resting on her ribs, just below her breasts. I leaned down close to her, taking one hand and tucking her hair behind her ear. 

She shivered at the touch of my fingers and I felt another surge of arousal. My lips leaned down to her ear and I breathed into it gently. She sucked in her breath and held it, not meeting my eyes, but not stopping me either and not protesting. 

I said softly, "I want to touch you, Monica." 

She sucked in another breath and said, "You are touching me, John." 

I smiled at her lame delaying tactic. "You know what I mean," I said. 

She lifted her head and peered at me over her shoulder. "Do I?' 

I stared into her liquid brown eyes and said, "I think you do." 

She swallowed. "What do you want to do?" she asked innocently. I let my eyes trail over her back and slid my hands up to trail my fingertips over the sides of her plump breasts. She breathed out, "Ooohhh," almost a moan. 

"I want you to turn over." 

She was still for what seemed like the longest time but then she slowly began to turn herself over. I lifted up onto my knees to give her room to maneuver. When I feasted my eyes on her breasts for the first time, I muttered, "Oh God, you're perfect." 

She blushed slightly and smiled, looking shy. I laid my hands gently on her stomach and trailed them up her skin. She watched me intently, her breath quickening. My thumbs rubbed back and forth under the crease at the base of her breasts and she arched slightly as if offering them to me. 

I didn't hesitate and moved up to cup them both gently, squeezing a little and then swiping my thumb over her nipples. They puckered up instantly into tight little knots and she mumbled, "Oh God, John." 

I leaned down and brushed my lips over hers, feeling a tingle race down my spine. "Kiss me, Monica," I whispered. 

She closed her eyes and leaned into me. I took her mouth under mine in a firm but unhurried kiss. She opened her mouth and my tongue slid inside without preliminaries. I rolled it over her tongue and she began to pant gently, returning the kiss. 

I pulled back and looked at her face. "You're so beautiful," I told her. 

She smiled. "You're not so bad yourself." 

"You think?" I asked, sliding off to lay on my side facing her. 

She grinned. "I definitely think." 

I swallowed again and said, "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" 

"I'm getting an idea." 

"I doubt it," I replied. 

Her hands went to my tee shirt and she pulled it up and over my head. Oh God, was she going to let this go further? It didn't seem possible that I could be that lucky. 

Her hands ran over my chest, ruffling the light sprinkling of hair and then she scratched lightly at my nipples and I grunted at the sensation that shot straight down to my groin. I hardened fully and gently took her wrist and lowered her hand between my legs, lifting my leg and pressed her palm to my erection. I bucked into her hand and she gasped again. 

"That's what you do to me," I whispered. 

She stared at me. "I didn't know ..." 

"Yes, you did," I corrected her and looked her straight in the eyes, holding her gaze. "Didn't you?" 

She shook her head. "I wondered sometimes but I didn't think ..." 

"Didn't think what?" 

"Didn't think you were ready ... or if you were ... that the attraction was that strong for you. We do spend a lot of time together. It's natural that you'd look once in a while since I'm the woman you spend most of your time with, but I thought that's all it was." 

I pressed my fingers to her lips to silence her, scooting up to brush my nose against hers. I felt us exchange breaths and then said, "I fell for you a long time ago." 

She gazed at me in wonder. "John ..." 

"Do you ever look at me that way?" I asked. 

"You have to ask?" she countered. 

"Yes. Tell me." 

Her hands cupped my face and tugged me forward. I fell over her, covering one half of her body. Our lips met again and we kissed for long minutes. When she finally came up for air she said, "I've always thought you were so sexy. I know it's fast ... probably not wise ... but ..." 

She thought I was sexy?! "But what?" 

"We just had our first kiss for Christ's sake!" 

"And?" 

She looked at me as if realizing she'd only given me half the story and then whispered, "I want you to ..." 

"To?" 

"John ... I want you to make love to me," she whispered. 

I felt my heart start hammer against the prison of my rib cage. I surged inside my jeans, feeling them constrict my now burgeoning erection. I groaned in response, closing my eyes. "Monica, God, I want you so much." 

She nodded and pushed gently on my chest. I rolled off of her and kept rolling, standing up by the bed. I didn't hesitate, not wanting to give her a chance to change her mind. I wanted us naked and sweaty as soon as possible. I somehow knew that once we touched, completely naked, she wouldn't pull away from me. 

She pulled her jeans and panties down, lifting her hips and slid them off her long, slender legs. She plucked her socks off and tossed them over the side of the bed as well. I stood wearing only my boxers and I shoved them down quickly, nearly tripping in my haste. 

She chortled with laughter then and I smiled at her. But then her smile faded as her eyes latched onto my erection. I could feel the force of her gaze and it was like someone was blowing up a balloon inside my cock. It lifted higher into the air, nearly pointing straight up. I watched as it pulsed and the skin stretched to an unbelievable tightness, precum leaking from my slit. 

I looked at her again and she licked her lips. I felt a wave of dizziness. "Christ, Monica," I growled and crawled onto the bed on all fours, straddling her again. "I walk around half hard all day just having to be around you." 

I leaned down to kiss her and she stopped me. 

"Not yet," she said and pushed me over onto my back. She kissed my chest and made her way down my stomach, making my stomach muscles ripple with anticipation. When her hand finally wrapped around my shaft, I groaned like I was dying. 

She grinned up at me and said, "It's a beauty, John." 

I laughed then, totally overwhelmed at the circumstances. "Glad you like it," I muttered through my dying chuckles. 

She leaned down slowly, the anticipation nearly driving me insane. I held my breath as her lips touched the sensitive head lightly. 

Finally, she was sliding down, her lips engulfing the head and her mouth opening wide to accommodate my girth. I'm not especially long, maybe an average six inches or so, but I'm very thick, or so I've been told. The ladies seem to like it and that's all that counts. I've never gotten any complaints. 

She took as much as she could and stroked the rest with her hand. Her tongue swirled over the underside of my shaft, making me whimper and thrust gently into her face. I simply had to move. "Oh yeah, Monica. Oh suck me. That's just right. God, I've dreamed of having your mouth on me," I croaked out. 

My hands brushed her hair out of her face so I could see what she was doing. The bird's eye view nearly sent me spinning out of control, but I clamped down tightly on my control, and pushed her shoulders gently away. 

She released my shaft with an audible pop and then looked at me with the most adorable pout on her face. I barked out a laugh again at her expression. "I wanted that," she said petulantly. 

I was chuckling still as I hauled her up and tipped her over onto her back. "And I would love nothing better than to have you suck me dry," I said. 

The corners of her mouth jerked up at my choice of words. I continued, "But I want to be inside you when I come the first time, Monica. I've wanted this for so long and I'm an old man. Once may be all you get in a night." 

Her expression became slightly awed and slightly amused. She nodded and teased, "Looking pretty impressive for an old guy." 

I just smiled and leaned in for another kiss. My hand trailed down her stomach and tugged lightly at the hair on her mound. Her breath hitched in her throat and she deepened the kiss. My fingers fished around, finding her clitoris and rubbing gently on the sides. She moaned into my mouth and I swallowed the vibrations. 

I slipped my finger down into her juncture and it was my turn to moan when I felt her wet seam under my finger. I stroked down and her swollen lips opened like a flower. I wasted no time slipping inside and nearly yanked back out at the heat I found surrounding my fingers. Oh God, she was so hot, and so wet ... for me. The realization struck me that I was the one doing this to her and I felt overwhelmed again. 

I slid between her legs, taking my weight on my elbow. Her hand between us guided me to her entrance. I then settled atop her, both arms on the bed, my glans nudging her wet folds. "Are you sure?" I asked. It was my one last attempt to be noble. 

She smiled, "Very, very sure. Make love to me, John." 

I let out the breath I was holding and began to slide inside. I gasped but pushed steadily inside as I felt her muscles wave around my straining organ. 

She moaned, "Oh God, you're so thick." Her head fell backwards, her eyes closing. I stopped. 

"O.K.?" I inquired, wanting to give her time to adjust. 

She nodded and I felt her go limp beneath me. "More," she whispered. 

I felt utter contentment steal over me as I pressed the rest of the way in, not stopping until my aching balls were pressed tightly against her ass. I swiveled my hips and she began to moan, so I stayed just like that, reveling in the feel of her snug walls as they quivered on my shaft. I crushed her clit between us and kissed her again. I picked up speed until I was grinding against her at a furious pace. 

All of a sudden, she screamed, "Oh Christ, yes! You stretch me!" 

I felt her walls convulse tightly around me and I bit my lip and held on with all my might. It was a near thing. As her tremors died down, I let out the breath I was holding and began to stroke her slowly. 

She panted gently beneath me, her legs raising up higher on my hips. I sunk deeper into her hot well and moaned. I kissed her neck and suckled on her pulse. She returned the favor and sweat began to cover our bodies. 

"You feel so fantastic, John," she breathed out around a soft moan. "I can't believe you want me this way." 

"I don't remember ever not wanting you this way. Jesus, I'm so hard. Monica, you make me insane. I can't believe we're together like this." 

"Me neither, but I'm not going to question it now." 

I agreed in silence and sped up my strokes, a need for release rushing up on me. She yelped and met my thrusts with abandon, encouraging my wildness to break free. I finally hollered a sound of pleasure and began to pound her into the mattress, bouncing her ass with every stroke, burying myself as deep as possible. 

I lifted onto my hands and her pelvis tipped up, her hands holding her knees high and wide. I was stroking UP into her and she made an mewling, gurgling sound that was purely erotic and then her belly began to seize around me again. I must have hit her G-spot. "Oh God, John, so good! I'm coming aaggaaiinn!" Harder!" 

Your wish is my command, I thought. I could feel the strain on my arms, and as her orgasm died down, I lowered myself to my elbows again and buried myself deep over and over. 

Her hands came to my buttocks as she bent nearly in half and she squeezed hard, separating my ass cheeks and pulling the skin on my already taut balls even tighter. 

I howled with pleasure as I felt the burn of my orgasm snake up my shaft like lightening, crackling furiously as I let loose and pumped her full of the biggest load I'd shot in years. "Awww, Monica!" 

My torso shook in a full body shudder as my cock spurted jet after jet of cum. It went on for long moments and I trembled as I collapsed on top of her, my nose in her neck, her hair laying across my face. 

We panted heavily and stayed still, shivering with aftershocks until our breathing finally returned to semi-normal. I hefted myself up with effort, feeling like a dishrag. 

I stared into her eyes and said, "I've never felt this good." 

She smiled, "That was amazing, John." 

I kissed her gently. "Don't ever leave me," I whispered. I jerked, not knowing where those words had come from. 

She cupped my face and looked at me queerly. "Are you all right, John?" 

I nodded, feeling silly. "I don't know why I said that. I have no right to be asking for ... any kind of ... commitment from you," I finished at last. 

Her expression softened. "What if I want to give one?" 

I stared at her, hope welling inside my chest. Just because we'd made love didn't mean she wanted a committed relationship. I'd been all to aware of that. However, now it was looking like maybe she felt the same way I did. I didn't like to share, not when it came to this. I didn't know if I could handle that. 

"Then I'll take it," I responded quietly. 

She smiled. "No one else, O.K.?" she asked tentatively. 

I nodded. "Please. That's the only way I can do this." 

"This?" 

I paused, wondering if it was too soon to lay it all on the line. Then I remembered how short life was and how long I'd waited for this opportunity, swearing I wouldn't let it pass by if it presented itself. 

"Love you and not go insane." 

She breathed out, "Oh!" Her arms wrapped around me and pulled me tight to her chest. I hugged her back just as roughly. 

She sniffled and met my eyes again. "Say it," she whispered. 

I licked my lips and took a deep breath. "I love you, Monica." 

Her eyes grew moist with unshed tears and she smiled. "I love you too, John." 

"Hallelujah!" I chortled. 

She laughed and then we kissed, and kissed, and kissed some more. Finally, exhaustion took us both. 

* * *

We woke to a pounding on the door. I heard John grunt as I jerked awake and got up, sliding my arms into my bathrobe and making my way to the door. I opened the door, leaving the chain on. 

It was Scully. "Monica!" 

"Yes?" 

"Skinner called and ... " She looked down the hall and then back at me. "We can't find John. I'm a little concerned. He didn't answer so we had your friend open the room. He's not there. Have you seen ,,, " 

She stopped abruptly as she saw me smiling. "Calm down," I said, as casually as I could, feeling a blush creep up my neck. 

"Wait a minute," she mumbled. 

Just as I took the chain off the door and swung it wide, John stepped up behind me, wearing nothing but boxer briefs. His chin came down to my shoulder and he kissed my cheek and yawned. "What's all the hollering about?" he asked sleepily. 

Scully turned several shades of pink and red and then stuttered, "Oh God, I'm sorry, Monica ... how could I be so stupid ... oh geez, I'll just ... uh, go tell Mulder. Meet us in our room when you're ... ready." 

She turned and fled down the hall. Despite my embarrassment I had enjoyed seeing the normally controlled Dana Scully lose her bearings. I closed the door and chucked John on the shoulder. "That wasn't nice! She was worried about you!' 

He smiled at me and said, "Gotta keep them on their toes." 

"John, geez, one night and you're putting on a show?" 

His face fell and he was instantly contrite. "I'm sorry, Monica. I didn't know you wanted to keep it a secret." 

"No!" I cried, going to him and hugging him to me. "You misunderstood. I was just a little startled and embarrassed. It will take a while to get used to people seeing us as a couple." 

He hugged me back and said, "You're sure you aren't angry? I mean, I'd rather be open about it, but if you want to keep it low key ..." his voice trailed off and I could tell the idea hurt him. 

"Not at all, John. I'll be proud to be with you and I want everyone to know it. You just surprised me is all." 

He grinned again, obviously relieved. "Surprised the unshakable Dana Scully too, I see!" 

"You're bad!" I teased. 

He grinned wider and said, "Shower. Last one in buys breakfast!" He took off at a trot and I ran after him. 

* * *

* * *

**PART 8 (PG-13)**  
**MEXICO CITY, MEXICO**  
**CASE DE MADRID**  
**MULDER/SCULLY'S ROOM**

The baby was sleeping peacefully in the basinet next to the bed. The hotel had dug up the bassinet from somewhere in their storage and cleaned it up. It wasn't ideal but it was adequate for our stay here. Emily had slept on a roll-away cot that we set up on the other side of the double bed. It looked like a hospital ward with the beds all lined up. Scully was gazing into the basinet at William. 

"So I told you there was something about that office," I joked. She'd told me of discovering John in Monica's room wearing nothing but his skivvies. We'd panicked for nothing. I watched her neck turn pink. 

"God, Mulder. I felt like such an ass." 

"Hey, I panicked too. It wasn't just you. We should have thought to check with Monica first. You said there was something brewing between them." 

Just then Emily emerged from the bathroom, having taken a quick shower. She was wrapped in a towel that hung to mid calf. She looked like such a little girl. It was going to take time to realize that she was much more than an ordinary child. I was still a little blown away by the fact that she was mine. Really mine, despite her alien physiology. 

She cleared her throat and said. "I have a slight problem." 

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked, finding the endearment slipping off my tongue with alarming ease. 

She smiled in response but then said, "I don't have any clean clothes. The ones I wore down here are trashed. I don't really want to put them back on." 

I frowned. "I think I saw a little clothing shop across the street when we came in." 

Scully turned and said, "Get her one of my tee shirts for now. I'll run over there and get something. I'll be right back." 

She headed for the door and then stopped, "Shit! I don't have any pesos. Mulder, I just have American dollars." 

"They might be more than happy to take your American dollars, Scully." I responded. 

She nodded. Just then a knock sounded on the door. Scully opened it and admitted John and Monica, obviously fresh from the shower with wet hair and clean clothes. 

Scully said, "Monica, do you have any pesos?" 

She nodded. "Yeah, I do." She reached into her pocket and withdrew a big wad of Mexican currency. "What do you need?" 

Scully eyes widened slightly but said, "I need to buy Emily some clothes." 

"Ahh!" Monica smiled. "Can I go with you?" 

"Sure. I'll pay you back as soon as we find a bank and exchange some currency." 

"Don't worry about it. We'll square up later." 

John entered and glanced at Emily as she snatched the tee shirt from my hand and retreated into the bathroom again. 

We sat on the end of our bed and John said, "Well, this is turning out to be an interesting trip." 

"So I hear," I responded and he heard the teasing in my voice. 

He smiled and said, "Ahh, I guess I shocked Dana a little." 

"It's good for her. Keeps her on her toes," I joked. 

He chuckled and said, "Some good comes out of everything. This situation is an awful one but I think it forced both Monica and I to make some decisions that needed to be made." 

"I know the feeling. Trauma can perversely have a wonderful effect on your sex life." 

He laughed now and said, "I think I'm getting cynical." 

"I wouldn't blame you if you were but I don't think so. Congratulations by the way. Monica is a wonderful woman." 

He grinned. "Yeah, she is. I can't believe she feels the same way about me that I feel about her." 

"I'm not surprised. You're a good man, John." 

He seemed surprised by that statement and I just shrugged. "I know we didn't hit it off at first, but I'm way past that now. I was threatened by you a bit. I'm not anymore." 

"You were threatened by me?" 

"I felt like you'd taken my place in the X-Files. And I had to leave. I worried that Scully ..." 

"Would turn to me?" he asked incredulously. 

I nodded, feeling contrite. 

He laughed again. "No, Mulder. There was never any danger of that. I knew from Day One that Dana Scully was madly in love with you. I wouldn't have tried to interfere with that on a bet." 

"I know that now. But being gone and staying away was the hardest thing I ever had to do." 

"I can imagine. I can't even contemplate being away from Monica now." 

"If you thought it would protect her from imminent harm, you'd find the courage. I did." 

He nodded. "You're right I guess. I just hope I never have to find out." 

"Hopefully you won't. If my plan works, none of us will have to face that possibility again. I couldn't leave her again, John. Not now. Christ, we have two kids now. TWO! From none to two in a matter of 24 hours. I'm still reeling." 

"I can't even imagine," he muttered. 

Emily reemerged, wearing Scully's tee shirt like a dress. She whirled around as though modeling it and we both laughed. "Come here," I said and patted my lap. 

She skipped over and leaped into my lap, sitting sideways, her legs dangling between mine. She smiled up at me and I felt something turn over in my chest. I smiled back at her and hugged her gently. She laid her head on my shoulder and sighed. "Hello Agent Doggett," she said softly. 

"Hi Emily," he responded, a grin plastered on his face. 

"What?" she asked in response to his look. 

"Do you know what a miracle you are, child?" he asked. 

She smiled, sadly this time. "I guess. I feel like being here is a miracle." 

I patted my hand over her hair, petting her gently and she squirmed in closer to me. I was having the weirdest emotional reactions to this unconditional affection. I wasn't used to it. Yes, Scully loved me unconditionally, but I'd never known the love or affection from a child. It was all new to me, but it felt wonderful. 

"You've had a hard life, haven't you?" he asked. 

She shrugged. "I guess by your standards. For me though, it's the only life I've ever known." 

"That's going to change now." 

"I hope so. I've dreamed of this my whole life," she said, as though she were 90 years old and world weary. 

"Well, you hit the lottery with these two for parents, kid." 

She nodded. "I know I did. They were chosen because they were especially good specimens." 

John cringed. "Specimens," he muttered. 

"Sorry, that's the language they use. I know it's ... depersonalizing." 

Hearing that big word, John raised an eyebrow. "I didn't mean to imply that you were insensitive." 

"I know that. I have a lot to learn." 

"You're very smart for a little girl." 

"In some things. Intellectually yes." 

"What do you mean?" he asked. 

I was glad he was asking these questions. They were questions I wanted answers to but hadn't figured out a way to ask about them. There hadn't been any time to spend on this sort of thing. 

"I mean that I'm very educated. That doesn't mean I'm smart in a ... world wise way." 

"I'd say you're pretty equipped with street smarts." 

"With alien street smarts, not the same thing. Their principles surround anonymity and covert operations. They don't know how to relate to people on an emotional level. They are very cold and calculating. They have two emotions; excitement and anger. That's it." 

"And what about you?" he asked quietly. 

"Me? I'm mostly human. I have alien DNA and alien blood mixed with human blood." 

"Your blood isn't entirely alien?" 

"No, it can still hurt you, make no mistake about that. But I think there may be a way to ... fix that." 

My eyes widened at that comment. "You do?" 

"Yes. I have to do some more research though. There are some things I'd like to try." 

"Like what?" 

"Blood transfusions. I have A+ blood type, the human part anyway." 

"That's my blood type." 

"Yes, Agent Scully's ... Mom's blood is O-, combined with you're A+, I have A+ blood mixed with alien blood." 

"What do you want to try?" 

"When things settle down, I want to try transfusing myself with your blood." 

"We couldn't do that in a hospital." 

"No, Mom would have to do it." 

God, it was weird hearing her call Scully 'Mom'. 

"But if we puncture your skin ..." 

"Yes, that's the part I have to find a way around. I'm thinking maybe we could find some gas masks or something, or those biohazard suits. I think they would be enough protection." 

"What exactly do you want to do?" 

"I want to drain as much of my blood as possible and transfuse with donations from you. I'm afraid to use anyone else's. My body might reject it. I could use Mom's too since O- can mix with anything." 

"We'll have to discuss this with ... Mom," I said, trying it out. I liked the way it sounded. 

John caught my hesitation and grinned, waggling his eyebrows. I smiled at him. "Let's leave the girls a note and go get some breakfast." 

"I have no clothes!" Emily said. 

John volunteered, "I can go downstairs to the restaurant and get something and bring it back up." 

"They don't have room service." 

"No, but you can take anything out of the restaurant. Plus, the less you are seen the better. Room service is risky. Anybody could show up at the door." 

As if in answer to our conversation, a loud knock sounded on the door. "Open up! Room service!" 

John and I grinned at each other as we both recognized the voice. Emily hopped off my lap and retreated to sit on her bed, pulling the tee shirt over her bent legs to swallow herself up like a cocoon of cotton. I stood and went to the door, looking out the peephole anyway. "I.D.?" I asked. 

He scowled but was holding up his badge as I unlocked the door and opened it a crack, leaving the chain on. It might have been paranoid, but I knew these aliens could look like anyone. The scowl was genuine though and to my surprise, Marita Covarrubias was standing behind him. 

I opened the door and they both came in, looking around to take in the surroundings. Skinner nodded at John, "Hello, John." 

"Brought company, I see," he said, grinning unusually wide at Skinner as though they were sharing a private joke. 

"Yes, that situation we spoke of worked out." 

"Glad to hear it." 

"What are you talking about?" I asked. 

"Never mind," Skinner said brusquely. "Bring us up to date. Where are Monica and Scully?" 

"Out buying clothes for me," Emily responded. 

Skinner's head whipped around to peer at the corner of the room where Emily was sitting on her bed, curled up into a ball with Scully's tee shirt around her like a muumuu. 

"Oh, hi there, Emily," he said. 

She nodded. "Hello, Mr. Skinner. Who's your girlfriend?" 

"Uh ... she's ..." he looked totally taken off guard. I smiled at him as realization was dawning on me. I glanced at John and he nodded subtly. 

Marita strode forward into the breach and extended her hand to Emily. "Hello, Emily. I'm Marita. I've heard a lot about you." 

Emily shook her hand and said, "Don't worry, he'll get used to it." 

She laughed out loud, a delighted, amused sound and turned to wink at Skinner. It was the first time I'd ever seen the man flustered. He cleared his throat and turned his head away. 

"So ... something you want to tell me, Walter?" 

He gave me an exasperated look. "Marita and I are ... seeing each other again." 

"Again?" I asked. I wondered how I'd missed this event. 

Again Marita answered smoothly. "We dated a long time ago, over a year ago and things just ... didn't work out. We're going to try again. At least ... I hope we are." 

She looked uncertain and turned to glance at Walter. He smiled softly. "I'm gonna give it my best shot, Marita. But this isn't the time to discuss it." 

"I know," she said. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I was just a little taken off guard." 

Skinner cleared his throat. "Well, we located Jeffrey, or Marita did." 

"Where is he?" 

"He's hiding out in a hunting cabin in the mountains in Colorado," he explained. 

"How do we contact him?" I asked. 

"We don't," Skinner replied. "Marita is the only one who can get to him. She's left a encrypted message on his e-mail. He'll know it's her and contact her on her digital phone." 

"How long will that take?" 

"I'm hoping he checks his e-mail everyday even though I'm sure he doesn't get much." 

"Probably just porn advertisements," John joked. 

Marita smiled. "He'll help you Agent Mulder, I know he will." 

I nodded. "Scully told me that he's ..." 

"Your half-brother? Yes. But he's through with all the petty competition and the old grudges that his father created between you two. He sees how trivial it all is now. He just wants justice." 

"A hard thing to find," I said sadly. 

She nodded. "Yes, but we've never had this many people on the same side of the fence before. We've always been working for our own agendas and often at cross purposes." 

"And we aren't now?" I asked carefully. 

She sighed. "I think we are all on the same page, Agent Mulder. And you have more help than you've ever had. I suggest you take it." 

I nodded. "I plan on it. I'm sorry if I sound skeptical or paranoid." 

"Quite all right. Paranoid can keep you alive." 

I nodded. "Don't I know it." 

She smiled. "I think we should wait for Agents Scully and Reyes and then all sit down and put our information together and see what we can come up with for a plan. Walter's told me some of what you are thinking, Agent Mulder. I like the idea but there would be a lot of obstacles." 

"There always are." 

She nodded. "First, we get the recipe from Jeffrey." 

Doggett interjected, "Then we get the ingredients, which I assume means paying a visit to CGB. You said he's in the Anasazi ruins. All this time we thought he was dead." 

She nodded, "Probably, he'll know where the biggest deposits of magnetite are located." 

"Then what?" John asked. 

Marita looked at me. "Then we need money, and lots of it." 

I nodded. She said, "I know lots of people. I know scientists that can keep their mouths shut, and I know politicians that I can ... control and make sure no one snoops too hard into our business." 

"Meaning?" 

"We would have to set up a lab somewhere to produce and experiment with this stuff. We would all have to be the first guinea pigs." 

I nodded. "Then?" 

"Then it gets tricky. Then we have to find someway to mass distribute it." 

"Should we cross that bridge when we come to it?" 

"Yes, but we need to be working on it as soon as possible." 

"I understand." 

Scully and Monica returned and gave Emily two pairs of pants and shirts, plus underwear, socks, sneakers and sandles and a nightgown. 

I commented, "You didn't get much." It wasn't a criticism. 

Scully nodded. "Remember she said she would be growing?" 

"Oh yeah." 

"Well, I want to make sure she's finished growing for a while before I buy a bunch of clothes she's going to outgrow. If we need more, we can get them." 

"Good thinking. I wasn't criticizing. Just wondering." 

"I know." 

She turned to Marita and nodded, "Marita," she acknowledged. 

Marita nodded. Scully had always been suspicious of Marita and I always wondered if she was jealous of her. I couldn't imagine why, but I know Scully had always though of Marita as my type. If she only knew. 

She turned to Skinner, "Sir, good to see you." 

"You too Agent Scully. We need to have a serious powwow here and figure out our next steps and who is going to be responsible for what." 

We all nodded and sat down wherever there was room, some on the beds, some on the floor, Skinner in the lone chair by the door. I saw Scully's eyes go wide as Marita slipped onto Skinner's lap to perch her butt on his big thigh. His arm went around her waist and he smiled up at her, oblivious to the grins from the rest of us in the room. 

Scully turned her stunned expression to me and I whispered, "Yes, whatever you're thinking, yes." 

She grinned. "Good," she said under her breath and I chuckled. 

I leaned into her ear again. "You never had to worry about her." 

She jerked her head up to look at me again. "Who said ..." 

I just gave her my 'please don't fib to me, Scully' look and she backed down, looking at the bedspread. I tipped her chin up with two fingers and kissed her quickly on the nose, whispered, "I love you." 

She smiled and mouthed the words, "I love you too." 

John clapped his hands together. "O.K., time to get busy folks. Who wants to go first." 

Skinner said, "First, let us tell you about Jeffrey and what we think we can accomplish on our end, then you tell us what you plan to do. We need to go book a room as well." 

John looked at Monica and she nodded. He turned to Skinner. "Take mine." 

"What?" Skinner asked. 

"You heard me. Take mine. I'll get my stuff out when we're finished here." 

"And where are you going?" he asked. 

Monica said quietly. "He's moving in with me." 

Skinner looked between us all and then said, "Shit, is there something in the air lately?" 

We all laughed. The release felt good. Then we got down to the business of figuring out what we were going to do. 

Marita spoke first. "I've done a lot of thinking. I was holding back before but I've decided to tell you who the aliens are in the FBI and the rest of the government. The info is scattered in those safety deposit boxes I told you about. It does not good to keep the information to myself any longer. I'm in danger no matter what, and it could prevent you from making a potentially fatal mistake." 

"Marita?" Skinner asked, clearly surprised. 

She smiled at him. "I'm going to trust you all. I don't want you turning to the wrong people." 

Skinner smiled a tentative smile and nodded encouragement. 

Scully whispered, "There's more to this than meets the eye." 

I just looked at her, then shifted my attention back to Marita. She pulled her briefcase into her lap and extracted a piece of paper. "I made a list. You have to learn it then destroy it." 

She silently handed it to me and I gasped at the first name on the list. "The Director of the FBI?" I asked incredulously. 

She smiled sadly, "It gets worse." 

* * *

* * *

**PART 9 (PG-13)**  
**TWO MONTHS LATER**  
**COLORADO MOUNTAINS**

Mulder strode into the room and called to me, "Jeffrey!" 

"Over here," I hollered, raising my hand above the bank of equipment that surrounded my stool. 

He came around the corner and peered at me. "I have good news." 

"What now? You're breaking my concentration." I was working on distilling the magnetite solution we'd developed to make it less detectable. 

"I just talked to Dr. Patricia Monahan." 

My head lifted from the microscope and I turned to face him. "And?" I asked, my voice more nervous then I would have liked. 

"She said she's looked over your whole file, pictures, medical records Scully sent her, etc." 

"And?" I asked, more impatient now. 

He smiled that Muldery smile at me and said, "She says she's willing to start next week." 

"Really?" I asked, feeling a flush rise up my neck. It was like a dream come true. No surgeon had wanted to touch my ruined face. 

"Really. It will be a series of operations, obviously." 

"I know that." 

"But she's cleared a date next week, on Tuesday to do the first one. There's a month to six week recovery after each surgery before they can consider doing more." 

"I know." 

"I've given her tissue samples and she says her techs think they can make a nearly perfect match for your skin with synthetic. She'll do some grafting with your own skin here and there, but a lot will be synthetic." 

"I don't care, Mulder." 

"I know, that's what I told her." 

"How am I ever going to pay you back?" I asked. 

"You already did, buddy. You already did," he said, pointing to the test tubes of magnetite solution sitting on the counter. 

"I mean the money ..." 

"Forget about the money Jeffrey. Half of it should have been yours anyway." 

I felt the tears sting my eyes and brought the back of my hand up to wipe my face on my sleeve. 

"Hey, hey, it's going to be all right," he said as he came further into the room. 

I held up a hand, not wanting him to touch me. I might break down completely and I didn't want to do that. "Thank you, Mulder." 

"For what?" 

"Everything. For not hating me, for helping me find a surgeon. For ... not cringing and looking repulsed the first time you saw me ..." 

"Ahh, Jeffrey. I've seen some hideous things in my day ..." 

"I'll bet," I said, counting myself among them. 

"And YOU are not one of them." 

I looked up at him and saw the absolute sincerity in his face, wondering at it. He was a bigger man than I was literally and figuratively. I'd grown to quickly like him as a man, respect him for his intellect, and now to rely on him as a friend. Neither of us had siblings growing up, his sister having been abducted and my mother never having another child after me. We were both enjoying having a sibling and had discussed the weirdness of it at some length. 

I was so grateful that the animosity was gone and he didn't hold my past behavior against me. He said he understood my motivations and I believed him when he said he hadn't known about all the manipulating behind the scenes between my father and the rest of us. It was a mess. But it was in the past and we had decided to leave it there. 

Now he was going to spend literally thousands of dollars on a chance that this woman could reconstruct my face from synthetic tissue. And he was asking for nothing in return. I didn't consider the magnetite solution that great a contribution although I realized its importance. I'd gotten it from my father, not invented it myself, although I'd had enough science background to study it and figure out the components. This meant that we hadn't needed to seek out my father and for that everyone was grateful. No one really wanted to deal with him anyway unless they absolutely had to. 

Mulder had hired four construction crews and built four cabins on this property after buying a hundred acres and fencing the whole damn thing in. Monica and John, Skinner and Marita were back and forth from Washington. When here, they each had a cabin to stay in. A third one was mine and the fourth, of course, and largest, was for Mulder and Scully. It had four bedrooms. Each kid had their own room and the fourth one was an office for now. This fifth building wasn't a cabin, but a concrete giant that housed lab equipment that would make any scientist drool. Scully had taken an indefinite leave of absence from the FBI and John and Monica were running the X-Files. 

Mulder had three scientists on his payroll, working to make and cold store the solution. It had to be made by hand and the combination of ingredients had to be just right so it was a time consuming task. But they were loyal, probably due to the large salary they were receiving. All were single with no families and lived close by although each had a room with a cot here in the lab building. More often than not, they stayed here overnight only to wake and begin work again. They knew what they needed to know. They knew their employer was eccentric and they accepted that. They didn't know what the solution was for just that he wanted a lot of it made. 

I was in charge of overseeing the project, a gesture of trust I hadn't expected but was extremely grateful for. It gave my life a purpose and filled the long, lonely days. I ate dinner with them often and felt like I was part of the family in some ways. I would never feel completely at ease, but it was a lot better now. I was content. 

Even Emily called me Uncle Jeff. She didn't shy away from me either and I found that especially amazing. All in all, things had turned out good. We still had a long way to go, but I believed Mulder's plan would work. We were going to wait until we had a lot of the solution, Mulder had a specific number in mind. Then he was going to start leaking rumors of a virulent virus from South America that was in danger of infecting the United States. Marita was going to help spread that rumor on Capitol Hill. Although no longer employed by any politician, she was still feared and respected on the Hill. People listened to her even when they didn't want to hear what she had to say. 

Mulder took my hand in a firm grip and leaned in, giving me a hard, quick hug and then he backed away. "It'll be great, you'll see." 

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Mulder." 

"Don't mention it," he said and turned to slide out the door. 

* * *

**MULDER/SCULLY CABIN**  
**COLORADO MOUNTAINS**

Scully turned as I walked into the kitchen. She tasted some sauce and held up the wooden spoon. I sipped from the spoon and made yummy noises. 

She laughed and went back to stirring. "How'd he take the news?" 

"He's overwhelmed but doesn't want to admit it. He thanked me. Mentioned the money again." 

"It is a wonderful thing you're doing for him, Mulder." 

"It's the least I can do. He's suffered enough." 

"You take a big risk talking to these doctors." 

"Everyone who's anyone thinks I'm dead." 

"I know but I still think you should come up with another alias." 

"What's wrong with George Hale?" 

"Too many people know it and know you've used it before." 

I sighed. "You're probably right. I'll give it some thought." 

We were silent for a few minutes. 

Then she said, "Let Emily come up with one." 

"Why?" 

"She needs something to do. I'm worried about her, Mulder. We're going to have to put her in school." 

"I don't know if that's wise." 

"She needs friends, Mulder." 

"I know, but the risk too great. All she needs to do is injure herself and her playmates drop dead. How's that for exposing us in a heartbeat?" 

"Mulder ..." 

"We need to get going on the blood experiments, Scully. We need to find a way to make her safe and the people around her safe. Then we can see about joining some community things in town so she can have friends. But we should probably home school her anyway. She's way too smart for 4th grade." 

Scully sighed. "I know. I just feel so damn bad for her, Mulder. It isn't fair." 

I hugged her to me as she turned off the sauce and laid her spoon down. "I know, we'll figure something out like we always do." 

I heard a sniffle and turned to see Emily standing in the doorway to the kitchen. I wondered how long she'd been standing there. "Hi honey, how long were you there?" 

"Long enough." 

I released Scully with one arm and motioned for Emily to join us. She walked to us and we had a group hug. "How much did you hear, Emily?" I asked gently. 

She sniffled again. "I heard you say something about the blood experiments." 

"Nothing before that?" 

She was silent for a bit too long. "Emily?" 

She finally looked up. "I don't want you to worry about me. I'll be fine. And I would never endanger you and I know that putting me out there is too risky right now." 

"Oh honey," Scully said. 

"Really, Mom, I'm fine. I have you and Dad and Uncle Jeffrey. I know you don't believe me but I'm happier than I've ever been. I never had friends my own age and they would probably bore me to tears anyway. I can't miss what I don't have." 

"Why don't I believe you?" Scully asked. 

"Because you're a human and you didn't grow up like I did. Now stop worrying. I'm perfectly happy. I've only read half of Dad's library here and I'm loving my new lap top. I'm plenty busy so don't worry. You have to stop thinking of me as a normal kid with normal needs." 

We both hugged her and I ruffled her hair. She'd grown four inches in the last two months and now looked every inch the ten year old. More like a 12 or 13 year old. It was a little spooky. I guess she came by that honestly! But that was another concern. If the outside world saw her growing like a weed, it could raise some questions to. Kids went through growth spurts but they didn't age three years in two months. 

She kissed us each on the cheek and walked out toward her bedroom. Scully sighed, "What are we going to do?" 

"Take her word for it." 

"What?" 

"What else can we do, Scully? She says she's all right. I believe her." 

"She's trying to protect us." 

"Yes, and what's wrong with that. We are very important to her, Scully. She's never had a real family before this." 

"I know." 

"I think she's amazed at how easily we accepted her." 

Will started to cry and Scully sighed, walking out of the kitchen into the living room. She was just in time to see Emily emerge from the nursery with Will on her shoulder. "He's hungry," she said. 

"Sure he didn't just wet his pants?" Scully asked. 

Emily cocked an eyebrow in a credible imitation of Scully's. "I'm sure. He said he's hungry." 

"He said ..." she stopped and sighed again. "I'll get him a bottle." She turned on her heel and went back into the kitchen. 

Scully had a problem accepting that Will could communicate with Emily. I wasn't sure if she didn't believe it or it just frustrated her that this young girl was better at knowing his needs than she was. She was adjusting but all this stuff was going to take time. 

I gave Emily a rueful look. "You don't need to rub it in, you know." 

She sighed, bouncing Will a little on her shoulder. "I don't mean to. It's as natural to me as breathing." 

"I know, but it freaks your mother out. When she asks if you're sure, just say yes. You don't have to say he TOLD you so." 

I heard the microwave ding, signaling the bottle was warm. 

She smiled a conspiratorial smile and nodded. "All right, but you're no fun." 

I smiled at her. "We all have to make compromises." 

"Compromises, compromises," she said, but she was clearly joking, her exasperation feigned. 

We shared a smile as Scully returned with a warmed bottle. 

She held it out to Emily. "O.K., smarty pants. Just for that you get to feed him." 

Emily smiled wider and took the bottle. "No problem." 

She turned and went into her bedroom. Scully turned to me. "Why is my life so weird?" she asked, hands on her hips. 

I smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Never a dull moment." 

"No, there's never a dull moment." 

* * *

* * *

**PART 10 (NC-17)**  
**LARGE, OLD FARMHOUSE**  
R.F.D. 45  
**WARREN, CONNECTICUT**  
**TWO YEARS LATER - 2004**

As was so often the case where Scully and I are concerned, the official version read a hell of a lot differently than the truth. I'd come to despise the words "official version". They represented so many loathsome things to me that I couldn't even begin to make a list. 

First, let me tell you the official version. We're dead. Scully and I were dead. Not really, but that's what the government, the FBI and the alien conspiracy bastards think. They thought CGB Spender was dead a long time ago and now, due to their actions, he was really dead, finally, once and for all. Thank God. The man was my father, but not in any real way that mattered other than genetics. Makes me shudder to think what I have inherited. Fortunately for me, it seemed environment was the overriding factor in developing behavior patterns in one's life. 

There was a freedom in being dead. As long as we don't wander around Washington D.C. or New Mexico, we're relatively safe from discovery. I had bought a house in a little town called Warren, in the northeast corner of Connecticut. Population 1000, five miles across and seven miles long and the best part; twenty miles past the last sign of civilization. 

Scully takes the kids to church every Sunday at the Congregational Church on the hill. It wasn't Catholic, but it would have to do for now. She was sending Emily to Sunday school, despite her protests. She was now 12 and looked about 15. The church sat across the street from the Town Hall, Fire House, Library, and the Elementary School, just above the only four way intersection in town. There was a little General Country Store below those four corners where you can buy lunch meat, tampons and a magazine and not much else. 

There are a lot of cows here; lots and lots of cows! But that was all right, they fit in right alongside the lots and lots of corn that the farmers in this town grew. It was a very tight knit community here. Everyone knew everyone and helped each other out. That was good in one way. People often watched each other's kids when parents had other things to attend to. It was hard to keep secrets in a town like this. Fortunately, nobody knew diddly about us or our past and had no reason to check it out. We were just another young couple that moved into town to get out of the big city and raise our kids in a safer environment. That was the official story. 

We'd had long talks with Emily about the importance of going to school. She was now in the seventh grade at the Regional School in Litchfield. She hadn't seen the point, but we explained that there was more to school than book learning. She agreed to try, sure that the kids would bore her to tears, but found she had made some good friends. She was a jock and ran track and played tennis. She avoided contact sports like field hockey and soccer, afraid that if she hurt herself, there could be trouble. She was the darling of all her teachers and a perfect straight A student. 

We had a small lab and medical bay set up in the basement of our home. Being a doctor, no one that found out about it thought it was strange. Scully and I did regular blood transfusions from both Scully and I. This severely decreased the chances of her blood harming someone. We'd done experiments by putting her new blood on scraped skin tissue and watching the effects. It still caused a first degree burn, but nothing that would be fatal. It would always be somewhat of a risk though. So Scully and I regularly took blood from ourselves and stored it in a refrigeration unit and once and month, infused our daughter with our blood. So far, so good. 

Scully was working as an Emergency Room doctor at New Milford Hospital about thirty minutes away. It was a small hospital and they were thrilled to get a 'big city doctor' who wanted to work there. The Chief of Emergency was getting ready to retire in a year or so and I had no doubt that she'd be the top doc in no time. Marita had come through again and gotten Scully authentic looking fake credentials matching nearly those she had at the FBI with her new name on them, of course. 

Marita and Skinner lived together now in D.C. Marita was a "political consultant." Skinner had been the one to officially find CGB in the Anasazi ruins. The government bombed the place and Skinner was mysteriously promoted to Deputy Director the month following. Payback for his silence we assumed. But this gave him even greater access than before, so he wasn't about to turn it down, even knowing the reasons were spurious. The word was that we had been seeking CGB and were with him and killed in the same blast that buried him in the ruins. Jane and John Doe were conveniently supplied on site when the government dug the bodies out to dispose of them. So we became deceased. 

ViralTech Corporation had conveniently snapped up the property, buying the "useless" wasteland from the government. I had crews mining magnetite constantly from the site and others looking for magnetite deposits around the world. 

Skinner had Marita somehow dispose of the VanDeKamps. We never even asked what they did. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Marita only said, "I took care of it. You have better things to worry about." As it turned out, their disappearance turned out to be a good thing for us. Mrs. Scully became the grandmother, Mrs. VanDeKamp, and moved to nearby Bantam where we bought her a small cottage. 

John and Monica were married and expecting their first child and still running the X-Files. Each couple came to visit a couple times a year. It was a bittersweet time, those visits. We missed the fast pace of the job but not the danger. We missed D.C., Georgetown and Alexandria but didn't dare go back lest we be recognized. 

Jeffrey and my three hired scientists were still in Colorado making what I now called Ameriviral. We had a large store of it and rumors were already floating around, thanks to Marita of a severe virus from South America that killed within days. Through contacts in the morgues around the D.C. area, Marita was arranging to have John and Jane Does listed as dying from this horrible virus. In another month or so the public would find out that the ViralTech Corporation, was the sole distributor of the new antiviral inoculation. Things were going well so far. We still lived in fear of discovery. Jeffrey and Marita jointly owned the corporation on the books, but I was the silent partner and mystery CEO. 

William was two and half and causing havoc on furniture as he ran around the house now getting into all sorts of trouble. Despite all the troubles of the past years, there was one benefit to all these struggles. 

I'd never seen Scully happier. She had her family, her children and as close to a normal life as she could have. She gave me credit but I wouldn't take it. It had been a joint effort. The combined risks of a lot of people. I did a lot of deceiving. John and Monica did a lot of inveigling, and Marita and Skinner did a lot of obfuscating. 

The last miracle was Jeffrey. He'd had his face reconstructed as best as the surgeon could. I wasn't happy with the results but he was thrilled, although he didn't look anything like he used to. We were talking about it one night and I had asked, "Do you wish you looked more like your old self?" 

His response had been, "No, I always wished I looked more like you." 

I'd been stunned by this admission. In the silence that followed, Emily gave us another surprise in a long line of surprises. She said, "I could change your face, Uncle Jeffrey." 

We all stared at her in mute shock. She continued. "I could mold that synthetic differently if you want. Just show me what you want to look like." 

After we recovered from our shock, Jeffrey hacked into the FBI's imaging program. Turned out he was an accomplished hacker in his own right. Reminded me of working with the Lone Gunmen and had nearly brought me to tears watching him work and get excited as he had success. I still hadn't been to visit their graves and vowed one day I would. Monica regularly kept fresh flowers on the grave sites. I'd said my good byes in private though and cried some more tears. I would always miss them. 

We played for hours and finally came up with a face that was half me and half his old face. It would make him look a lot more like my brother than he ever did before. Satisfied, we printed it out. Emily studied it for a week and then announced her readiness. We were nervous but trusted her. More importantly, Jeffrey trusted her. She'd never lied to us yet. 

So she had done her magic by laying her hands on his face. We watched as she subtly shifted and molded the synthetic/skin combination on his face, starting at his forehead and working her way down. She molded the eyebrows, one cheek, then the other, changing the nose and the shape of the lips. It was like watching time lapse photography. It took her over an hour but when she was done, the man looking at me was handsome. He had some of my features, minus the huge nose. His eyes were bigger and his cheekbones higher, but we would unmistakably be taken for brothers if we were out together. 

It took us a while to get used to it. Jeffrey kept his first name but changed his last to VanDeKamp as well, in case our relationship became known. Marita was provided with a steady income for her efforts on behalf of the "corporation", as was he. The scientists had each taken a cabin in the complex when we left. I'd hired extra security there and had a full time security force on twenty four hours a day. No one had discovered us yet. 

Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate. The story of our lives. But we were new people now and settling finally into our new life. 

* * *

**ONE MONTH LATER**

"Dad!" Emily screeched as she skidded onto the kitchen tile in stocking feet. 

I looked up from the sink where my hands were submerged in dishwater. I still got a little jolt when I heard her call me that. "What sweetheart?" 

"Uncle Jeffrey is here!" 

"What?" I asked, turning my head more towards the door. 

"He just pulled in. He has someone with him." 

"Someone we know?" 

"No," she said breathlessly. 

"Better go up to your room." 

She nodded solemnly, used to the intrigue in our lives, despite the fact that things were considerably less hectic than they used to be. "Should I call Mom?" 

"Not yet." 

She nodded again and sped up the staircase to her room. I knew she had locked herself in. I felt a pang of sadness that we lived this way sometimes. Just then the doorbell rang. I opened it to find Jeffrey standing with a older man in a suit. Jeffrey was dressed casually in khaki pants and a polo shirt. 

"Hey bro," he said, letting me know that this man knew he was visiting Jeffrey's brother. 

"Hey Jeff, come in. Who's this with you?" 

"Kyle Lamer, the head of the Connan Pharmaceuticals." 

I knew immediately what this visit was about. We had been searching for a company willing to distribute Ameriviral when it went on the market. It was speeding through FDA approval as we spoke, thanks again to Marita the miracle worker. The woman could cut through red tape faster than a pair of hair shears. 

"Let's go in the kitchen. I have coffee on. This is a surprise," I said, as they followed me into the kichen and sat at the breakfast far that separated the kitchen from the dining room. I set out the coffee and condiments. 

The man stuck out his hand across the bar. "I'm very interested in your product, Mr. VanDeKamp." 

"How much has Jeffrey told you?" 

"Only that it would be FDA approved soon, and government controlled." 

"That's right. It would be a quasi-government contract, although not really." 

"Meaning?" 

"Your contract would be with ViralTech Corporation. The government would just be regulating the distribution and amounts that could be given out." 

"We're familiar with that song and dance." 

"I appreciate you coming all the way out here." 

"No problem. Jeff here explained that you were the silent partner and didn't travel much." 

"That's right. Keeps all the nuts away. You know, the ones with their hands out?" 

He nodded as though it was private joke between us. I swallowed my disgust and said. "My anonymity would be part of the bargain. After this, you would deal exclusively with Jeffrey and my name won't even be on the contract. You would be the only one in your corporation to know who I am. I have to insist on that or the deal's off." 

I was surprised continually how easily people accepted this sort of thing. Apparently it went on all the time in big business. People wanted to make money and so accepted the quirks and eccentricities of the rich. 

"I understand. Well, Jeff has done most of the negotiations, so I had a contract written up. I'd like to go over it with you if you have the time." 

"Sure. Could you excuse me for one minute?" 

He nodded and I went upstairs, knocking on Emily's door softly. She opened it a crack. "What's up?" 

"It's all right. He's a pharmaceutical guy. I need you to watch William while I meet with them." 

"No problem," she said. She loved her little brother and we were grateful for all her help with him. She was almost a second mom to him. We didn't know if he would manifest any other abilities besides his telepathy with his sister, but we were relieved Emily would be here to help us if he did. 

I went back downstairs and sat with them after fixing some coffee. The man had pulled papers out of his briefcase and laid them out on the table. "Let's get down to business," I declared and picked up the first sheaf of papers and began to read. 

* * *

**LATER THAT NIGHT**

"I'm nervous about this," Scully said. 

"Me too, but I can't think of another way." 

"I know but I'm always afraid every time we introduce something or someone new into the mix, our chances of exposure double." 

"I know but it can't be helped. We can't distribute this stuff on our own, not the mass distribution we are going to need." 

"I know, I just worry, that's all." 

"Come here Mrs. VanDeKamp," I teased. 

She smiled and walked into my arms. We stood in the bedroom hugging for a few long minutes, soothing one another. The peace I found in her arms still astonished me. And the passion hadn't waned either. 

The fact that I was in my boxer briefs and she was in just bra and panties soon had the usual effect on my body and I shivered against her, feeling my groin tingle and harden. I pushed gently against her stomach and she chuckled. 

"Frisky, are we Mr. VanDeKamp?" 

We still joked about the names. I didn't think we would ever get used to them. We still called each other Mulder and Scully in private, but used our manufactured names as often as possible in an effort to get used to them and lessen the chances of a slip up. She used the first name Laura and I used the first name Stuart. 

She calmly stripped off her bra and panties. I watched her and smiled, reaching for my boxers. They puddled at my feet and I motioned her onto the bed ahead of me. 

"And just what do you have in mind?" she teased. 

"I'm gonna make love to my Scully," I replied. 

She smiled wider. "Your Scully, huh?" 

"Yes, I miss her sometimes." 

Her smiled turned sad but she nodded, knowing what I meant. We missed using our real names. It seemed silly. What is a name really? But our surnames had become who we were and it was difficult, even after two years to use the new names. We were getting better though. 

I slid next to her as she lay on her back. I draped one leg over her thigh and leaned down to capture her mouth. She hummed in the back of her throat. She'd been working long hours at the hospital and we hadn't made love in over a week. I hoped she did become the Chief of Emergency. It would mean more regular hours if she was administrative although she would always be on call. I was painfully hard in an alarmingly short amount of time, moaning into her mouth as her hands wandered over my chest and legs, as far as she could reach. 

I rolled between her thighs, reaching down to test her readiness. She was soaking wet and her lips parted easily to my fingers, hot and slick. We both moaned and I said, "Mind if I skip the preliminaries this time?" 

She shook her head. "I'm ready. Lord, I need you Mulder. I ache for you sometimes." 

I felt my chest tighten. I loved hearing her say that. She knew what it did to me, knowing she needed me as much as I needed her. I groaned as I sank into her foamy wetness, feeling her surround my throbbing member. I started slowly stroking, wanting to make it last but couldn't do it for long. 

I gasped out, my face in her neck, "Shit, Scully, I need to go faster. I'm not going to last long." 

"Neither will I," she whispered. "Go." 

I grasped her ass cheeks, one in each hand and began slamming into her, my dick feeling like it was going to burst. I jerked her upwards toward me as I thrust into her increasing the force of my thrusts. My fingers dug into her tender flesh, knowing I would leave a bruise and unable to help myself as I felt my cock swell unbearably, bone hard. 

I pumped deep into her belly and howled as I felt my climax rush over me. "Awww, God, Ssccuullyy! Oh yeah, baby! Oh God you make me come so hard!" 

She gasped and then moaned through her own climax as her hand reached between us to swipe over her clit. I savored the feel of her constricting channel milking my dick for the last drops of semen. 

We collapsed in a heap, arms and legs tangled, breathing erratically and waited for our breath to come back to normal. 

I chuckled, "Damn, sorry that was so quick. I needed that." 

I felt her lips smile against my temple. "Quick or not, I came anyway." 

"Mmmm, I didn't think you were going to make it." 

"You always take care of me if I don't." 

"I know but I prefer if you come with me inside you." 

"Me too. That was wonderful, Mulder." 

"Too quick," I argued. 

"Shush. Sometimes I like a hard and fast quickie. 

I barked out a laugh and then said, "Good thing." 

She rolled me off her onto my back and smiled down at me, kissing me tenderly. I was still surprised sometimes at how easy the intimate part of our relationship was. All those years of fretting and we could have been getting this kind of comfort from each other. I tried not to regret the past and always look forward. I wasn't always successful. However, if this was all we ever had, it was more than I had ever dreamed of. I constantly reminded myself of that. 

Then she slid down and curled into my side. I put and arm under her neck and around her back, loving the feel of her silky hair on my chest, as she used me for a pillow. 

"I love you, Scully," I said softly. Then I teased, "Just in case you forgot." 

"I love you too, Mulder ... so much." She was silent a few minutes and then said, "Mulder, I'm really happy." She sounded surprised. 

I smiled down at the crown of her head. "I'm happy too, Scully." 

"You did it, you know?" 

"What?" 

"Found a way for us to be a family." 

"It's not over yet." 

"I know, you've found a way to save the world too." 

I chuffed mirthlessly. "I don't know about that." 

"I do. I always had faith in you." 

I felt the tears sting my eyelids at this simple admission that she'd given me many times in the last two years, and before that as well. "I know. You've always had more faith in me than I had in myself. You'll never know how much that means to me, how much your love means to me." 

"Oh I think I do. The door swings both ways, Mulder." 

I kissed her hair and sighed. 

"We are a great team." 

I chuckled silently this time. "That we are, darlin', that we are," I replied. 

We drifted off to sleep, having learned to face tomorrow when tomorrow came. 

* * *

* * *

**PART 11 (NC-17)**  
**SKINNER TOWNHOUSE**  
**ALEXANDRIA, VA**  
**SAME DAY**

"I think things are turning out nicely, don't you?" she asked. 

"It's coming together. I can't believe it sometimes, but it is. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop." 

"I'm trying not to project too much into the future, Walter." 

"Me too. I think I need something to keep my mind off it." 

"The whole pharmaceutical deal?" 

"Yeah, that and a lot of other things." I paused. "Come here, Marita," I commanded, my voice having dropped to a rough gravel. 

She looked up from the bureau drawer where she was putting away laundry, moving shirts from the basket to the bureau. "I have to finish this laundry," turning back to her task. 

"It will wait," I said. 

She heard the arousal in my voice that time and looked up again. She slowly put the shirt back in the basket that was sitting on the floor. She turned to me, wearing only tee shirt and panties, her sleepwear when she wore any at all. I had shoved my briefs down and stepped out of them. 

She glanced down at my now rampant cock and I watched her suck in her breath. I loved to see her react to my body, to my arousal the way she did. It never ceased to amaze me that she was as turned on by me as I was turned on by her. 

"I have this little problem I need you to take care of," I joked with a straight face. 

"Doesn't look so little," she countered. 

She grinned and pulled her tee shirt over her head and shucked her panties. My eyes trailed over her body once and she moved to the bed, crawling on all fours across to my side. She reached out and immediately took the head into her mouth and I moaned as my knees gave way slightly and I swayed. 

I felt her smile around my cock and she sucked me inside, taking about half of me. Her hand wrapped around the rest and pumped me. I groaned and thrust gently into her mouth. This felt great but it wasn't what I wanted. I didn't want to come this way. Not tonight. I wanted to be closer to her, feel her body against mine. 

I pushed her back and she retreated. I pushed on her shoulder and she lay back. "Like this?" she questioned, always eager to please me. I loved that she was so accommodating. There must be some latent dominance tendencies in me because I got so exciting seeing her obey me without question, or scramble to please me. 

"Yes, open your legs for me." 

Her knees fell to the side and I had an unobstructed view of her pussy. It was pink and swollen and I could see wetness on her. I reached down and swiped my finger into it and she hissed. I brought it to my mouth and sucked it slowly off my finger. 

"Jesus, Walter, it kills me when you do that." 

I hummed and did it again, just to watch her face and her pretty eyes cloud over with lust. At last, I could wait no longer and leaned over her, caging her between my arms and legs and sucked her turgid nipple into my mouth. She moaned and threw her head back, arching into me. I sucked greedily at her soft mound and kneaded the other one gently. 

She reached down, grasping my ass and pulling me toward her. I slid down, taking myself in hand and lining myself up, then taking my weight on my elbows as my hands slid under her shoulder blades and my hands locked on top of her shoulders for leverage. 

When I did this, she knew what it meant. I was locked and loaded and I wanted to take her roughly. I pushed the head into her plump lips slowly, trying to quell the rising tide of arousal and take it a little slower. It was no use. I felt my control break at the first squeeze of her tight muscles on the head of my cock. 

I sputtered out, "Awww, Damn! Gotta ..." 

She whispered. "Take me, Walter." 

That shredded the last thread of my control and I rammed into her, forcing my entire length inside, until my balls were crushed against her anus. She shouted, "Ahhhhhhhh! God!" 

I knew it hurt her a little when I did that but she insisted it turned her on. I could feel her cervix expanding and contracting on the head of my cock and the sensitive head twitched, the feeling divine. 

She lifted her knees higher and wider, feet on the bed and crushed her crotch against me, allowing my steely cock to slide even deeper into her. "Ready?" I asked, panting harshly trying to hold on to my control. 

"Yes. Fuck me hard!" 

I snapped, withdrawing my cock to the end, almost slipping out and then plunging back into her, hard and fast, feeling my shaft bottom out and slam into her cervix. She shouted again and unintelligible sound "Awwwww!" 

I began retreating and slamming inside, long strokes, tipping my butt up as I retreated to make sure I dragged over clit. I sent my cock into her over and over, battering her tight pussy. I shouted and continued to rut wildly, feeling her begin to orgasm around me, her muscles grasping desperately to hold me inside. 

* * *

I loved that feeling when my pussy lips parted and stretched wide for his thick, mushroomed cock head. I loved when my tunnel first gave way to accommodate his gigantic prick. He slammed into me and I gasped in pain as he slammed into the back of my tunnel, stretching me unbearably. It made me quiver every time. 

A little discomfort had always gotten me hot, I never really knew why. He began hammering away with complete mindlessness, urgently seeking his release. I loved it like this. I loved that I made him crazy with lust. In short, I loved the way he fucked me. I found myself muttering it out loud. 

"Oh fuck me! Love the way you fuck me. Oh yeah. Harder! Make me sore, make me hurt. So good, Walter. Oh fuck, love the way the fuck me. Fill me up, baby, fill me up. Let go, come for me." 

"Oh yeah. Here it comes!" He lurched suddenly, going still for a heartbeat and then began shouting as his cock erupted inside me, spraying my insides with sticky warmth. "Oh yeah, baby. I'm filling you so full." 

His orgasm triggered mine and my vagina fluttered helplessly and the spasms rolled through me. His sperm was hot and washed through me like a spreading wave. 

He collapsed on me, still holding most of his weight on his elbows, but his hips pressing mine firmly into the mattress. He was still semi erect and we lay there enjoying the aftershocks and the feel of his cock slowly pulsing and shrinking inside me. He finally slipped out and rolled over onto his back. "So good every time," he muttered. 

"Mmmm," was my only response. I glanced at the laundry basket and decided it could wait until tomorrow. "Should we shower?" 

"No, I want to smell us." 

I smiled to myself. He loved the smell of our mingled fluids. I did too, but had never admitted it. Best for him to think I was conceding to his whim by leaving us on cum drenched sheets. 

His voice startled me out of my reverie. "Besides, I'm not done with you yet." 

"You're not?" 

"No." 

I rolled up onto my elbow and peered down into his face. "Since when?" In the early days, we'd often made love more than once a day, but no anymore. It had been a long time since there had been a repeat performance in a single night. 

"Since now," he growled and rolled up on top of me, pushing me back onto my back. 

I glanced down and could see he was still semi-hard. He spread my legs and sunk his face between my thighs. I moaned in anticipation. "First, a snack," he joked. 

I laughed and then shouted as his tongue lapped me from anus to clit. 

* * *

**MONICA REYES' APARTMENT**  
**FALLS CHURCH, VA**  
**NEXT DAY**

I woke to the feel of his morning hard on pressing into my ass. I moaned, still only half awake as I felt myself gush instantly with wetness. His hand snake down between my legs and his fingers slide between my thighs. I lifted my leg slightly and his fingers slid inside. I groaned and arched my butt into him. 

He grunted as I crushed his cock between us. His hand retreated and I missed it already. I went to turn onto my back and he said, "No, stay there. Let me do all the work." 

I was perfectly content to do that. His hand brushed my ass cheek, squeezing gently and then moved between my legs. He began dragging my wetness up to coat my anus. "John?" I asked, my voice shakier than I would have liked. 

"Easy. Relax for me. you know I won't hurt you." 

I took a deep breath and willed my muscles to relax. After a couple of minutes of his dragging wetness up and his other hand under my neck reaching down to pinch my nipple, I was groaned like a whore in heat. He pinched my nipple hard and I shouted out at the quick dart of pain. As I did, his well lubed finger slid easily into my ass and buried itself to the hand. 

I moaned loudly then, "Ohhhhhh, awwwwww!" 

"Shhh," he soothed and began moving the finger just slightly. My moans escalated as his pumping finger increased the length of its strokes and increased speed. 

I was surprised at the lack of pain. I was still sleepy and my body felt like a dishrag. Every nerve ending in my body was live and on fire despite my sleepiness. The haze of sleep preventing me from even a token protest. We'd never done anything anal before and I was surprised by this new development. I wanted to please him though and so forced myself to relax again. 

He began whispering in my ear. "This is new so stop me if anything hurts, all right?" 

I nodded and he rolled me onto my stomach, shoving a pillow under my hips. He continued his ministrations and was soon pulling more wetness from the constant flow from my apex and then he had two fingers inside. I clutched the bedclothes as the sensations made every hair on my body stand on end. I felt another gush of liquid heat between my legs. Soon and with surprisingly little effort, he was plunging three fingers into my ass. 

"Oh God, John! Never knew it felt this good." 

"Yeah, that's it, baby. Oh, I'm gonna make you feel so good." He leaned down and spoke into my ear, knowing that I liked a little dirty talk once I was fully aroused. And fully aroused I was, unbelievably so. "I'm gonna fuck your virgin ass, Monica, and it's gonna be great." 

I moaned in response, the only sound I could muster as his words enflamed me. 

Next thing I knew, I felt his cock slide fully into my lubricated pussy. We'd made love just before falling asleep and I'd never made it to bathroom. His cum from the night before was running out of me now as his cock filled the space and forced it out. 

He stroked a couple of times and then pulled out. I felt his head press on the wrinkled anal opening. I gasped and he whispered. "Relax, you're ready for me." 

I did as asked and blew air out of pursed lips. He pressed firmly and I began to feel the muscles give and stretch wide from the steady pressure. The muscle began to part and just then his hands slid under me and his fingers grasped both nipples and tugged sharply. I shouted, "Owww!" 

And his cockhead popped into my ass. The little dart of pain was quickly replaced by the incredible sensation of his cock sliding slowly into my now stretched ass. 

"I'm stretching you so wide. Looks so hot, baby." Soon he was embedded to the hilt and he groaned. "Oh Monica, so tight in here, so hot. You O.K.?" 

I was panting heavily. I gasped out, "Yes, move, but go slow." 

He began pulling back just an inch or so and pressing back inside, giving me time to adjust the incredible feeling of fullness. We were both moaning as he slowly increased the length of his thrusts. When he was finally pulling back until I could feel the ridge of his cockhead stretching my sphincter muscle before he slid back in, he began to increase his pace. 

"Oh I love your pretty little ass, Monica. So hot, so tight," he muttered. 

He was soon thrusting hard and spearing into my bowels. I could feel every ridge of his unusually thick cock as it slid deep into the core of my ass. One of his hands slid down my belly and found my clit. 

A few tiny circles and some downward pressure and it was all over. I climaxed so hard I thought I was going to pass out. White dots flashed behind my eyelids and I shouted, "I'm coming! So good, John!" 

"Yeah, that's it! Awww, baby, I can feel you squeezing me!" 

* * *

At some point, I lost control and ravaged her ass. I plunged into her depths, rutting against her pert, little ass cheeks, amazed at the sight of my wide cock spreading her ass wide open. I nearly fainted when she came and her ass clenched around my prick. 

I'd never felt this kind of tightness and it was beyond description. I was delirious with pleasure. I kept swiping at her clit, not wanting to hurt her but unable to keep from speeding up the increasing harshness of my thrusts. 

The backs of my thighs tingled deliciously as I felt my balls shake and coil with the onset of my orgasm. It was going to be fabulous. I grunted like a Neanderthal and plowed between her cheeks, shouting, "Oh, I'm gonna come, gonna come in your ass. I'm gonna come baby, so hard." 

"Do it!" she shouted. "Come in my ass!" 

Those words sent me right over the edge as I squirted into her ass for the first time. My cockhead stung from the force of my ejaculations. They seemed to go on forever and I finally shuddered and slipped out of her, hearing her moan at the loss. I swayed as I looked down at her stretched ass, watching it wave and contract, beginning to close up. I'd stretched her so wide. I fell onto my side and she rolled onto hers facing me. 

I reached down and patted her belly, only slightly rounded at four months pregnant. "You O.K.?" 

"Perfect," she mumbled. 

"I wanted to try that now before ..." 

"Is that why you did it?" 

"Well, later on, we may not be able to do it normally." 

"I can have sex as long as there are no complications." 

"I know but our positions will be limited." 

"True. God, I'm so wanton!" she said incredulously. 

I laughed. "You've got the second trimester hornies." 

She laughed with me now. "It's awful." 

"I'm loving it." Too much was not enough for her lately. That's why I figured it was time to try this. I wanted to for a long time but had been afraid she would think I was disgusting. Then we watched a porn flick one night and it had anal sex in it. She didn't say anything, but I watched her carefully and could tell it had turned her on. She hadn't been repulsed at least. 

"I'll bet you are," she declared. 

I smiled and gathered her into my arms. "Shower?" 

"Yes, I should have last night." 

"I filled you in both holes," I said softly. 

She slapped my shoulder. "John, that's gross!" 

I captured her face in my hands and lowered my head until my lips were brushing hers and said, "No, that's so sexy, baby." 

She giggled and then kissed me. I didn't want to get up, but I knew we had to. 

We were going to make the trip to Connecticut to see Mulder and Scully. It was our turn. I knew Jeffrey was up there now. Skinner and Marita were following a day later. We were to discuss the results of the meeting with the distribution company candidate. I prayed every day that this scheme would work. 

Having Skinner as Deputy Director and still in charge of the X-Files had turned out to be a mighty convenient thing. Whenever we needed to do something for the "project" as we called it, he would come up with some file to investigate in the area to cover our trip and absence. It was working out well. We still looked into genuine X-Files and had fun doing it. I worried about Monica going into the field after she had the baby, but she'd promised to slow down, at least for a while. 

And so the story continued. Where would it end? God only knew. We had already been injected with the final version of Ameriviral. Only time would tell if it really worked. All we could do is hope. I almost drew some satisfaction out of the fact that if one of those smug bastards approached me they would be blown to smithereens. I knew that wasn't a very mature attitude and perhaps a little blood thirsty, but I didn't care. I had a wife and now a baby to protect. We'd put our lives on the line so that our children could have a future. 

I just prayed to God we'd succeeded. There was still a long road ahead of us. But we would all rest easier when the population was inoculated. Once we'd covered the U.S., we were planning on branching into Europe so there was still years of work to be done. 

I sighed and slid out of bed, patting her gently on the rear end. 

"Hey!" she shouted, smiling at me. 

"Don't fall asleep. We need to shower and get going." 

"Task master," she muttered playfully as she slid out of bed. 

I smiled at her. "Sorry." 

"No, I know we need to get going. There's more work to be done, always is, isn't there, John?" 

"Yup. What is it Mulder always says?" 

"Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate," I responded automatically. 

We both chuckled as we made our way to the bathroom nude. "My work is never done," I joked. 

* * *

**LARGE FARM HOUSE**  
R.F.D. 45  
**WARREN, CONNECTICUT**

"Dad!" Emily screeched as she skidded onto the kitchen tile in stocking feet. She was really going to hurt herself doing that one day, I though inanely. 

"What sweetheart?" 

"Agents Reyes and Doggett are here!" 

She was my little watchdog, often hearing cars pull into the end of our quarter mile long driveway long before I heard them. "Why don't you greet them at the door and show them in. Remember to take their coats," I reminded. 

She smiled. "It will be good to see them again." 

"Yeah, it will be, won't it?" I responded, smiling gently at her. 

"I'll call Mom." 

"Isn't she at the store?" 

"Yes, but she said she was going to run over to the church. I told her I'd call on her cell phone when they got here." 

"Oh, all right. Do that then and I'll go get my materials." 

"Right!" she nearly shouted in her enthusiasm as she saluted me smartly and turned on her heel and ran out of the kitchen. I sighed, smiling, still not sure what I did to deserve all this. 

There was a lot of work to do in the years to come, but somehow, I just knew that everything was going to be all right. I couldn't remember the last time I felt that sensation. I closed my eyes and realized that I hadn't felt all was right with the world since I was 12 years old, Emily's age. 

I heard her feet thunk across the floor in the living room toward the front door. I teased her that you could hear her coming in her bare feet. The door bell rang as if on cue and she swung it open. I listened to her greet them and started a pot of coffee. Monica, "Hey sweetheart! Is your Dad home? Look at how tall you are! Christos!" 

Emily giggled and I could her opening the closet to hang their coats. 

I only hoped all our efforts would make her and William's life more carefree than mine had ever been. I guess that was best any of us could hope for. 

**THE END.**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**  
Requests from friends for this fic included the following: 

Cathie: William back - Mulder as Daddy - no on the run - Kersch as bad guy - Doggett/Reyes more involved - and Skinner as good guy w/trust. 

Song: William back - sex b/t M/S - M finding something other than a date and knowing how to stop it - closure w/Mulder  & TLG - DRR smut - not talking to dead - Skinner promotion - who agreed w/me that "crushing Scully's spirit was an awfully lame excuse not to tell her what he found". 

Dani: Emily back - (post ep) what would Scully do? 

Holly: More kissing. 

Daniela - Spicing up. 

Sara M. - anything w/ MSR 

Aloof - Coming together as family. 

Dresa - Cuddling in bed. 

Yup! I saved all those e-mails and message board messages! Believe it or not! Thanks for all your input girls.   
  


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